Cold burns
by QQQ p
Summary: Subzero arch assassin of the Lin Kuei and prized servant of the Grandmaster is sent on his greatest mission yet. He must recover a map for a sorcerer. A simple task - or so he believes.
1. Snow

Mortal Kombat Mythologies  
  
"Do you think he will do it master?"  
  
"I wouldn't have hired him if I didn't think he would"  
  
The room was dark and filled with Shadows. A white face almost luminescent was lit by light from a square gap in the roof. Moonlight, or maybe something else was its source.  
  
"What if he fails in the task?"  
  
"Then Subzero will succeed"  
  
"You never told me about a second ninja, who is this Subzero?"  
  
"A mere mortal who wields powers over Ice, Scorpion is his nemesis. The two clans are  
  
bitter enemies, I thought Scorpion would serve me better if I could ease his mind a little"  
  
"You think Subzero will fail?"  
  
"Scorpions is the greater fighter he'll tear Subzero limb from limb. I have high hopes  
  
that he will join the brothers of the shadow, Subzero has more human emotion in him, Scorpion  
  
will use it against him"  
  
"And what if Subzero succeeds?"  
  
"He won't"  
  
Chapter 1: Snow  
  
It was cold and in the distance the temple was sticking up into the night like a sharp knife. It cut the sky like a scythe the bricks once colorful had now faded with time. Now they were gray with weathering or black and green with moss and foliage. Creepers climbed up the bricks and caused damage to the once powerful design. Once long ago it had been a great temple with many followers and guardians of the treasures within, but time had passed and the monks had slowly dwindled away. It was rare even that you saw the chimneys of the kitchens burning smoke; it was a quiet silent place with few left to remember the ancient knowledge. Mortal Kombat... what was that now? I thought I remembered for a second, but alas it seems to have left my mind. There were few left to keep alive the old legends. There were many who were determined to destroy them forever, and with good cause. But as with everything that has the potential to bring great power; there were some who were determined to use this hidden power for their own ends. Selfishness greed and desire all work from the shadows of the Neatherealm. Deep down in the pits of Hell something had happened. A concept had been made, a plan of action that could tear the world itself apart. Underground they say that you are close to hell. Over ground they say that you are close to heaven yet the truth perhaps is somewhere in between.  
  
The snow crunched as a blue cloak billowed towards the temple, its master an assassin. Blue cloth, black boots, cold hands. These things were all that he needed as he came slowly and trudgingly upon the temple. They were his style and his persona, the things that he used to strike deep terror into the hearts of his enemies "Oh Raiden save me its Subzero!" they would shout before he murdered them with a shuriken or ice blast. That gawking expression they pulled was indented into his mind, as with the slow breathing and the loss of life they passed away terrified as if they had seen a ghost. He breathed hard on his hands clutching the dark blue material around him, it billowed fiercely in the wind and he pulled it around him closer as best as he could. He stopped a moment and gazed up through his cold deep eyes at the temple with rising anger. It was not the temple that caused it, the fury came from within.  
  
"I really could kill him?" he grumbled his teeth chattering in the cold wind, he wrapped the cloak tightly around him with a growl looking up at the huge structure in front of him with distaste and no acknowledgement of the achievement and creation of such a thing "Oh by the way Subzero!" he imitated "Here's another Sorcerer who has a small job for you. Just travel three thousand miles north across the lake of fire and recover a newspaper" he stumbled a moment and shouted out kicking the snow with his boots red in the cheeks, the full redness of his face was suppressed by the cold winds "I could murder that fool! When's he going to hurry up and die so I can take over? Don't I deserve the position after all I have been through?"  
  
Subzero of course knew what the reason was, why the Grandmaster was still alive and rich as a powerful stockbroker. It was a simple but dangerous one. He of course was good at his own work and the reason the Grandmaster hadn't died yet, was because he was good at his. Murder of course wasn't what he meant. He was wondering when and where the Grandmaster was going to die of old age. He had been around for a good deal of time and you could notice his frailty. The eagerness to live and control were still there, but his physical form was failing fast. Subzero would be next on the stand, and he would have the chance to reenact some of his dreams, and also spend lavishly on all the money he would receive. That of course was the priority.  
  
His boots crackled on the snow as he came closer towards the huge stone building. Stain glass windows with pictures and symbols on reached up into the high heavens. Cold snow was everywhere and he pulled the cloak tighter as a cold north wind gripped him. He looked inquisitively up at a window above. It was small but not too small. Down below the icy river that was being used as a moat roared with great sheets of ice and frozen logs passing by at high speed.  
  
"That should do" he said irritated "Just big enough for my rolling corpse"  
  
He took the blue cape off shivering and rolled it into a ball. Slowly he took a step back trying desperately to stop his teeth from chattering and failing in the process. He stepped back once more and then twice. With a burst of energy and chattering of teeth he ran forward leaping high into the air he curled up into a ball crossed the icy moat below and smashed right through the window into the temple.  
  
The glass shattered spreading far across the room the coulered fragments scattered across the stone floor. He wiped the broken shards off of his body and dusted himself down, dabbing a small cut across his cheek with infuriation. The blue silk mask hid his mouth but left his eyes visible; the only sign of his emotion that at that moment had a very nonamused expression. But, it is hard to tell from the eyes, especially his eyes. Even so there was no doubt in the negativity of his emotion, the eyes showed perhaps contempt? Irritation maybe, aggravation malice hate, one of those was evidently clear, or more likely a combination of all of them together. Subzero was a nasty person, it was what made him live, what made him survive.  
  
A black line ran down his middle like a tie with blue padded material to either side. His arms were mostly bare apart from small armored pads that protected his arm and wrists.  
  
"You will fail" whispered a voice in the darkness. The sound crept right down his spine sounding horribly familiar. Footsteps sounded away in the shadows and there was silence: silent laughter. Subzero readied him self, he crept round the circular room looking for the source of the sound. Ornate patterns and designs were on the walls, he could only vaguely see the ones nearest to him, as his eyes had not adapted to the light; but he felt them more by touch than sight.  
  
His ears picked up harsh breathing over at the other side of the room; he crept quietly across the stone floor, his black boots crunching on glass and snow. That had blown it, whoever was in here with him would definitely know he was there now. He blocked bracing himself for the impact with a cringe.  
  
It didn't come. He stood there contemplating the situation silently. Nothing happened. He felt rather the fool; he shouldn't be feeling that he was the assassin here. He was the one in control he reminded himself.  
  
"I know where you are" he said loudly and audibly "Come out now or I'll kill you" (Subzero was never one for subtlety, but the trick had often worked in the past much to the demise of the victims. "Or I'll kill you" has a certain charm to it that mentions nothing of the consequences of actually doing what he says)  
  
A moan let out in the darkness and Subzero crept forward to the source of the sound not a flicker of worry in his face. Glass cracked and the wind and snow came in through the gap where the window had once been. It gave a dim blue dusty glow into the room that expelled heat and warmth. The wind sounded, a soft whistling where the air hit the broken shards of glass still left in place. Subzero shivered and crept closer to his target, he fingered a shuriken in his cloth. It glinted in the blue dusty light like six pins.  
  
"Please don't hurt me," whispered a voice "I'll do anything you want, just don't hurt me" said the voice, it sounded wet and hoarse. Subzero knelt down and found the body in the darkness. The face was covered with blood and there was a large unusual wound in the chest that made Subzero cringe. He knew what kind of blow caused that mark, it was a Ninja move that he had stolen himself from Japan at the Grandmaster's orders. He wasn't supposed to have looked at the ancient scripts, but he and the Grandmaster both new that he would.  
  
"You're cold," whispered the voice coughing slowly "Are you Death come to claim me?"  
  
"Who attacked you?" whispered Subzero looking into the face. The head was shaved and had a bad wound across the top. The skull looked like it was cracked, it was evident this subject wasn't going to live very long. He might as well get as much information out of him before he died.  
  
Subzero was a cold ruthless assassin, not a studier of ethics or morals. To him all that mattered was getting paid, and arriving back to a warm fire with his housemaid to serve him. To tell the truth as much as his reputation went he didn't really like getting cold.  
  
"Answer me now, or I'll harm you further" threatened Subzero nudging the monk in the ribs "I'm angry and I'm not in the mood for useless shaolin monks like you"  
  
"An assassin came; yellow as the sun as you are blue as winter. He knew an art greater than ours, please whoever you are, you must stop him. The map shows the location of an ancient danger, no one must touch it grave peril ... terror" he slumped to the ground choking on blood.  
  
"Get up" enforced Subzero kicking the monk in the ribs. It did little good, the monk didn't move: he looked dead. Subzero stood up to his full height and looked the dead corpse over "Stay there then" he spat and with another kick he left the body where it lay. A large stone door was at the other end of the room. Placing his hands on it with wonder it opened sharply and he jumped back out of the way. He rubbed his hands together with a cold shudder "Looks like Scorpion's in the house, perhaps we can end this rivalry once and for all"  
  
He walked carefully along the corridor looking to either side to find only walls and one way forward, fishy...  
  
What's more the walls were painted and carved with images of skeletons and dead bodies. A celestial voice at this moment was perhaps speaking and advising Subzero not to continue, but he didn't believe in any of that crap.  
  
"No map yet" he muttered to himself grimly "I hate long jobs"  
  
A wooden structure stuck out of the wall to his left. Through it he peered through to see a rope dangling down inside of the wall. It disappeared into darkness. It probably led to the Belltower of the building or some other useless design that in Subzero's eyes was a useless expenditure of time and effort. It would be worth checking out to see if there was any treasure even so. The only problem was  
  
he didn't know where the rope began, or what floor it lead to. He'd have to explore the rest of the building first, and of course Scorpion was somewhere around peering in the shadows, wouldn't that be fun? He didn't like the idea, Scorpion was more at home with stealth than he was, hiding in shadows and pouncing suddenly. But even so it would be worth removing him if he could, the pride of being able to say "I killed Scorpion" would do him no end of good amongst his rivals in the Lin kuei.  
  
But why was Scorpion here in the first place? He growled suddenly as the position suddenly dawned on Subzero that someone had ordered Scorpion to do the mission. This filled him with rage and irritation. That sorcerer whoever he was had some explaining to do. He should have known that there would have been a ninja in the temple also after the same job, especially one as notorious as Scorpion.  
  
He stopped walking suddenly and gazed up at the stone ceiling. A large circular stone was sticking out of the roof which seemed to have no other purpose than decoration. Subzero looked it up and down and noticed a large crack in the stone beneath the circular pillar. One plus one equals two. Evidently Scorpion had avoided that fate.  
  
"I suppose it passes the time," grumbled Subzero reaching into the silk of his blue gear. He withdrew a small ninja star and threw it forward bouncing across the stone floor below. Two pillars almost immediately came crashing down onto the ground flattening the place where Subzero might have been standing. He touched the stone pillar, it felt dusty. A hand print above his print told him all he needed to know that Scorpion was in the house. Being paranoid he wiped both hand prints off and stepped around the two pillars. Nobody else was going to follow him if he could help it. Picking up the star he walked on to another door. It opened automatically to his touch as if it were powered by modern means. He raised his eyebrows, there was something unusual about this temple. Automatic doors? Skeleton painted walls? Squashing pillar traps? It didn't seem very holy to him.  
  
The next room was much the same in fact it seemed identical to the first circular room. It was dark and hard to see, yet had a musty smell of some kind of incense that the other didn't. Some kind of ceremony room perhaps? He didn't know. Lin kuei didn't bother with all that rubbish, they used to but not so much in modern times. He tiptoed softly forward his feet making almost no sound. His foot nudged against something soft, a material. He knelt down and found another body in the dark. The skin was cold... a ninja star embedded in the bald fore head. The Shiri Ryu symbol was on the side, his lip tightened. He stood up again with a quiet sigh and walked on. He almost expected to find "Made in Japan" foot prints on the floor, alas he was not going to get away without running into him. He pulled the shuriken out wiping it on the folds of the monk's own robes and deposited it in his own stock.  
  
Everything was quiet and even his own trained movement seemed to echo around the room as if it were a huge explosion of a noise. Across the room this time there was no door, a gentle wind came in through swinging wooden shutters. Scorpion had been through here. The wood slammed against the stone walls back and forth as the wind blew it. The gap where the door should have been instead lead out onto a balcony normally closed by the shutters. The sky was dark outside and the moon shone brightly clouds slowly passing it by. It was a full moon again. He'd seen a lot of full moons recently. He was getting tired of them.  
  
He peered over the edge to see a large court yard, an awning was placed below presumably leading into the lower passages of the temple. He grumbled to himself at being forced to jump. There was no snow in the courtyard, this didn't seem strange to Subzero at the time, but it did later when he began to think about it. The courtyard was bare as if the snow had just melted away, the horizon looked like a Summer's night yet he overlooked it all to concentrate on his mission. Stepping up onto the edge of the balcony he balanced himself and then jumped down. There was a few seconds of weightlessness before he bounced off of the canopy and landed unbalanced on the stone below. He cursed and fell to his knees and cougthed white air like a cold dragon. He hadn't taken that jump quite right.  
  
"You!" shouted a voice "Stay where you are!" he back flipped to his feet. His ankle hurt slightly but the pain soon passed. There was a monk in the doorway. Subzero readied himself putting both hands forward in a primitive dragon style.  
  
"You killed my brothers! Hand over the map Now!" shouted the monk unsheaving a rather large sharp and disagreeably shiny falchion. His clothes orange, shone green under the moonlight and his bald head had a white moonlit glow across it. The eyes were focused on him, and Subzero felt a brief moment of nervousness but he was reassured that this person would most likely be more afraid of him than he was.  
  
"I would if I had it" grunted Subzero, the monk's lip tightened "I came here for training" he improvised feverishly, "I'm innocent I promise you"  
  
"I don't believe you" replied the monk with a frown "I've been in this temple for over eleven years and I've never seen your face neither yesterday not a year ago" that didn't sound good.  
  
"I came here today (moron)" thought Subzero aside "You're wasting your time. If you fight me then the assassin will get away, we'd do better to work together"  
  
The monk paused and the eyes flickered for a second to the floor. He'd lost the adrenaline and concentration. Subzero sensed it. In that moment Subzero could have killed him but he didn't something held him back. He'd almost persuaded the fool that he was doing something for the benefit of his people. He'd never played this game before and wanted to see how far it went. Perhaps he might even get some kind of satisfaction out of playing hero... at least temporarily.  
  
"Alright... " Whispered the monk with a suspicious glance "I trust you. Follow me, do as I do. If he's still here then he's in the room where the map's kept... I hope your good, because I'll need your help if we're going to defeat him"  
  
"I'm the best" grunted Subzero arrogantly and knew he shouldn't have said that. These monks were all out for ego control. He could be stuck here for hours now listening to a lecture about Budha. The monk merely snorted and turned towards the temple running faster than Subzero expected he followed briskly, cold blue air rising from his boots like dust in the morning sun.  
  
They passed through another circular room sprinting very fast, the monk slammed his hands hard on the stone door and it opened quickly inwards. He stepped back and turned to Subzero with a glance.  
  
"There's traps here" he called "Stay behind me"  
  
With a flash of orange silk he kicked under a pillar, the great stone slab came crashing to the ground the same as the ones on the floor above. A little more risky than Subzero preferred, but evidently this monk had done it many times before. He wondered amused if the likely casualties were also the likelihood for the temple's lack of members. Inversely proportional he believed remembering some of his primitive maths. Subzero edged his way uneasily around it as the monk caused the other pillar to come down. He was already in the next room when Subzero got passed the final pillar edging around it carefully, the blue Lin quei sprinted on both hands behind him to find the monk kneeling by a fallen "brother". Blood was coming out of his nose like a tap on the drip. Another circular room, a rope dangled down in the center.  
  
"Sang it's you!" smiled the dying monk blood streaming down his face. Subzero snorted and tapped his foot in impatience. He breathed hard on his hands to keep them warm. They'd been getting colder ever since he'd discovered his talent. He just hoped that they didn't continue to get any colder.  
  
"Where is the assassin?" whispered the monk who appeared to be called Sang. His eyes looked worried and flickered from side to side hurriedly, this fighter had no concentration, Subzero rolled his eyes in disappointment. He'd stand no chance against Scorpion. He'd have to do most of the fighting himself, it was no surprise the monks had been massacred so easily.  
  
"He's in the room up ahead!" he gasped "You must stop him! You know what will happen if he succeeds!"  
  
"The map! Does he have the map!" hurried Sang shaking the fallen monk, the monk coughed blood and Sang's face changed to pity at his own forcefulness "Don't worry your going to pull through, just rest your head back and don't close your eyes"  
  
"I won't survive" he said softly spitting blood onto his neck "You must go now, get the map back from him!" Subzero yawned impatiently and breathed hard on his cold hands. He stopped and looked down at the two monks with boredom.  
  
"We know all this already" he grumbled, "Now lets get a move on or he'll get away"  
  
Sang growled turning round on him suddenly with wild eyes "Have you no heart?" he spat "My fellow brother is wounded! I must save him!"  
  
"I try to avoid it," replied Subzero "You evidently seem to lack brains if I lack heart now lets go! He's dead already. Lets get the damn map... I mean Scorpion"  
  
"You're disgusting," growled Sang, he turned whiskingly back, he tore a piece of cloth from his leggings and used it to patch the blood from the monk's lips.  
  
"Yes, I am..." said Subzero turning away "never mind lets get going. Is this the way to the map?"  
  
"Yes" spat Sang getting to his feet. He looked back down at the monk on the floor, the eyes gently shut and the life of one of his best friends departed him forever.  
  
"Are you finished? Lets go then, leave that corpse there" said Subzero turning away to the open doorway disregarding any feelings that Sang could possibly have had.  
  
The monk broke out into tears and sobbed on the dead body suddenly with great wailing moans. He stayed there locked to the corpse with tears falling down with immeasurable grief.  
  
"Stay there then" shrugged Subzero and turning he ran down the corridor without a second thought "Pathetic, if I'd just killed him I could have saved time and concentration listening to all that wet babbling"  
  
He slammed his hands down on the stone door just as the monk had and stepped back quickly. It opened inwards into a large circular room, Subzero readied himself and walked slowly forwards the door closed behind him with a slam and he looked back with frightened eyes. Up at the end of the room large stone steps lead up to a white parchment that seemed to generate its own light. It hovered in its place, one of Earth's last magical relics, stone torches were on either side of it. Scorpion was here or nowhere. He had to find him quick before the yellow ninja attacked with the advantage.  
  
Subzero raised both arms and prepared him self for combat. He'd done pretty well so far, he hadn't had to kill anyone. This had to be a record of some kind. He should get a medal "Subzero did a job without a single murder". The room was dark the only light seemed to come from the map itself and the two stone torch lights either side of it. Subzero's eyes wandered round the room across the walls and up at the ceiling. A yellow shape like a statue looked down at him from the middle of the ceiling. Those eyes he knew only too well like gargoyles.  
  
"Are you going to come down or am I going to kill you first?" called Subzero shaking his fist up at the shape. The ninja above dropped suddenly like a rock and crouched one hand on the floor one hand on the ground. His head looked up at Subzero slowly and he stood to his feet like a wild cat. A smile must have come to his lips because it showed in his eyes, but it wasn't a nice smile. It was filled with efficiency and calculation, a desire for murder and destruction of his enemy.  
  
"Subzero isn't it?" chuckled Scorpion. He moved his head both ways and there wasn't the slightest crack of bone "I've heard alot about you Lin kuei"  
  
"Perhaps you know then what I do to my most hated victims" replied Subzero coldly with an icy glare. His knuckle tightened.  
  
Scorpion laughed, "You have a sense of humor it seems"  
  
"Shut your trap," replied Subzero with no flicker or movement in his eyes "I know you've sworn to kill me. And I know there's a thing between our two clans"  
  
"That "thing" your talking about spans several millennia dating back to the dragon king" replied Scorpion with pleasure at having bested Subzero, he paused a moment gazing at him with desiring eyes "Before I kill you I want to say I'm sorry. If we had known each other outside of our duties then I'm sure we could have been the best of friends, but as it is... with the honor of my clan behind me and your clan behind you, it is what we represent that is more important"  
  
"As long as I get paid you mean" replied Subzero "I don't know about you but I don't go along with all that honor crap. Now lets get on with this you are boring me" Scorpion shook his head from side to side with something of a grin.  
  
"You seem so confidant Subzero. It will fill me with pleasure to show you just how good I've gotten"  
  
Subzero wrung his hands and they slowly circled round each other coming slowly closer in a dance of death as it was commonly called between the two clans. Like in the wild it was a chance for both sides to size each other up and look for the best way to attack. They stopped a moment and Scorpion laughed deeply with sarcasm. With that the two men charged together meet with furious fists and blocking hands in the middle. Scorpion took on the offensive taking a round house kick over Subzero's head, he ducked in time to block another blow to the face. The next fist he reversed stopping a punch to the shoulder, he came in with a kick and scored a glancing below across Scorpion's torso. Subzero knew the kick was a dodgy move and a moment later took a nasty punch to the hip he fell sliding back across the floor on his back.  
  
The yellow ninja was quick on the uptake; he jumped high into the air and came down with a karate chop. Subzero rolled aside just in time as the stone slabs where he had been laying crashed shattered and broke flying up into the air. Scorpion rushed forward again and Subzero blocked a blow to the face he brought his arms up and attacked but the yellow ninja pushed them aside. He blocked a knee to the groin with his own defensive knee and continued the move outstretching the leg into a kick to Scorpion's face. He staggered back with a splatter of blood and back flipped away from a second cold charged blow the sane he had learned from the Shiri Ryu manuscript. Scorpion snarled with hate at having his own technique used against him, especially perversed and combined with Subzero's own cold skills. This time Scorpion took the defensive and Subzero followed up his limited advantage with as many pummels as he could. Scorpion blocked and Subzero deliberately aimed for his arms hoping to deaden it for the rest of the fight.  
  
They crossed the room and Scorpion regained his senses just before the wall, pushing a punch aside he brought back his own attack onto Subzero who instead aimed kicks to the shins. They stopped for a second locking in a wrestling position they concentrated on kicks to knock the other off guard. Both arms were interlocked and straining to push each other back or over onto the floor. Subzero kicked out hard stamping on the yellow ninja's foot, he realized too late that Scorpion was falling back on purpose. He felt gravity tip and he lost control as Scorpion sent him flying over head, the leg kicking his backside further through the air. He landed a crumpled heap on the ground trying desperately to get to his feet and face in the right direction. Scorpion advanced at a deadly fast speed and Subzero brought a leg round the back of Scorpion's shins bringing the both of them to the stone floor with a crash.  
  
The great stone door opened loudly and Scorpion looked up distractedly before he took a blow from Subzero to the chin. He collapsed on the ground and rolled aside backing off to see who was at the door. Sang came in red eyed with burning cheeks and charged forward with a shout towards the yellow ninja.  
  
"I see you acquired a friend" chuckled Scorpion wiping blood aside "Lets see how good he is"  
  
The monk advanced and attacked with the left hand. Scorpion blocked it and held the hand in place amused, the monk attacked with the right hand and Scorpion held that hand in place, he brought up his knee and Scorpion brought his up quicker he kneed the monk in the stomach and watched him reel in pain as he sank to the ground. Another kick sent the monk flying back across the stone floor blood landing either side of him onto the dusty tiles.  
  
"He's more pathetic than you are Subzero" chuckled Scorpion turning round to Subzero he growled with pleasure. His eyes widened a moment as Subzero came shooting across the floor in an icy sliding kick. He caught Scorpion off guard and brought the yellow ninja to the floor he followed up the success with a series of kicks to the fallen ninja. There was a snap and he heard a rib break, that was always good. Scorpion cringed in pain and tried desperately to defend himself. He kicked out wildly suddenly and hit Subzero in the knee cap, he stumbled back in pain. Scorpion came up with almost no effort like a zombie rising from the grave. Subzero saw the blow coming and hardened his abdominal muscles as the fist hit there. He didn't want to fall the same way as Sang had. Now that would have been embarrassing. Scorpion brought the other fist flying forward and Subzero blocked it.  
  
There was a slice of metal and a sword came flying through the air from Sang's hand. Without even looking Scorpion caught it and swung it round Subzero only just dodging "Thanks a lot Sang" shouted Subzero rolling aside as the falchion took another swipe at him. Swords were bad news he had to stop this one quickly. Scorpion brought it down vertically and quick on the uptake Subzero stopped it with both hands either side of the blade. With a rush of air he brought his leg up and hit Scorpion on the elbow the falchion went flying up into the air and landed on the floor with a clatter.  
  
The yellow ninja advanced again with another long combo, Subzero blocked and blocked again as the blows brought him closer and closer to the wall of the room. Walls weren't good news either, he dodged aside suddenly but too late took a double kick to the stomach and chest and collapsed backwards. He rolled aside blocking Scorpion's attacks as best as he could, a foot missed his head by a centimeter. Leaping forward the yellow ninja pinned Subzero to the ground and wrapped his arm round his neck. Subzero struggled wildly trying to release Scorpion's death grip.  
  
"I've got you now" smiled Scorpion his eyes flashing. Subzero pulled on the arms like crazy, if he didn't stop Scorpion quick his neck would break. Broken necks were not good things, they were worse than walls and swords. He felt Scorpion's grip tightening, this was extremely dangerous a moment's drop of concentration would be fatal. He had to find a way out of this quick and he wasn't sure if he could or not. Blood splattered to the ground and Subzero presumed for a brief instant that he was dead. Instead Scorpion flew backwards and crashed against the wall. Sang followed up the flying kick with another but Scorpion dodged the foot smashing painfully into the wall "Why you little Shaolin rat, I'll finish you off like I should have done last time"  
  
Subzero wheezed his hands gripping his neck trying to release the wind pipe. He stood uncertainly to his feet to see Sang taking a bashing. The monk surprisingly managed to block several of Scorpion's moves. Coming back into the fight Sang actually hit the yellow ninja across the fore head, but the blow although strong was weak to Scorpion's brick wall of a fore head. The monk received Scorpion's boot and fell to the floor coughing and spluttering.  
  
Scorpion was ready for Subzero this time, but he wasn't ready for Subzero's sudden force. Until now Subzero hadn't physically really warmed up, this combined with his irritation at being almost beaten by a ninja really heated him up. He punched wildly spinning multiple kicks at Scorpion who only just managed to block them. He grinned seeing an opening and gave Subzero a punch to the face. Subzero ignored it and followed up with a kick to Scorpion's groin. Scorpion cringed in pain before a kick sliced down from above on his head brought him face down on the floor with a slam. He rolled aside and another punch hit him, he was playing the rolling game now. Punches came from all directions but Subzero was only in one. A kick hit him there a knuckle knocked across his face here, he staggered to his feet to receive a blow to the stomach then chest, and then a spinning kick across the face he fell to his knees, blood dripping down his face and reddening his yellow silk costume.  
  
"Spare me!" he whispered blood dripping down his mouth, he spat a tooth onto the floor and coughed up blood onto the dusty stones.  
  
"Kill him! Kill him!" whispered voices in Subzero's head. This was his nemesis he should kill him, he'd be rid of the bastard forever. He'd never have to worry about meeting Scorpion ever again, this was his chance to prove that the Lin kuei were better than the Shiri Ryu once and for all. He readied a punch whitening the knuckles, but it didn't come. He paused looking into Scorpion's eyes. What then? What would he do when Scorpion was dead? Was that it? What next, it seemed so bleak, too easy. It could just have easily have been him who was dead now, what would happen then? Scorpion would have killed him taken the map and left. Now that things had reversed would Subzero now kill Scorpion and take the map? It made life seem so two dimensional, it was too simple. He didn't want to follow fate, he was too interested with following this idea of playing the hero.  
  
He kicked Scorpion to the side of the head and the yellow ninja slumped to the ground unconscious. He walked over the fallen body and ascended the steps to the map. He felt his bruised cheek, it stung like mad. He walked up to the map and took it from its position looking it up and down. Sang came up behind him with a beaming yet warn out face of joy.  
  
"Thank you for helping me" said Sang softly blood running down his face "I would have died if you had not been here, I am sorry I spoke so harshly to you back there when my brother died. You are indeed a merciful warrior"  
  
"Thanks" said Subzero looking at the map and not at Sang. He raised his eyes to Sang. The monk bowed before him. A thought suddenly flashed through Subzero's head "Me merciful? Kind? Generous!? How dare he!" he brought his hand down on Sang's neck and the monk collapsed on the large steps unconscious. He took the map with one hand and walked back away down the steps treading, satisfaction running up his body, over Scorpion's unconscious body.  
  
"Moron" he chuckled softly to himself. The door opened and he walked away across the corridor. He found the dead monk who Sang had crouched by and glanced over it briefly. Looking up he could see the rope, it rose high to the very top of the room. Jumping he took hold and started to climb up it swaying slowly from side to side. He could see the dark sky above. The ground below moved further away and he passed the floor with the gap in the wall and the wooden construction. It felt different looking out instead of in. He climbed precariously upwards until the wind started to blow again in his face. He felt cold snow flakes touch his face in the darkness of the night and felt that same pleasure he got after completing a job and starting on his way home. Jumping off he gripped the handle of a metal bar and went gliding down on a long rope away from the temple, the snow falling lightly on his sleeves. He had escaped and he felt proud of what he had done, yet somewhat irritated that he had not killed Scorpion. He tried briefly to some up whether he had done the right or wrong thing? Yet with a glimpse of distant mountains he remembered who he was and remembered with a smile that he didn't care. 


	2. Ditdoe in the desert

Chapter 2: Ditdoe in the desert  
  
The dark glow of morning, orange and green crept in through the wooden shutters and hovered over the rice bags. The wooden paneling of the room showed ornate Chinese symbols in black calligraphy. A tough red headed man worked hard taking out dishes from draws, a black haired girl was setting round wooden tables setting chop sticks and napkins. Rice bowls were put out in places around the tables and chairs were straightened. His red hair was tied back in a single dreadlock that flapped about as he pulled things out of cupboards by force. A pan landed with a clang on the tiled floor behind the counter.  
  
The dark haired girl's clothing was white with an apron, a single aqua ribbon tying her hair back. The red headed man looked up at her with a crash of plates "Hey Mialta, get more water, we'll be starting soon" she nodded briefly and headed quickly to the door. It was unusually chilly that morning she shivered and turned round the side of the house. The darkness was all consuming as she came to the well. It was hard to see even a few paces in front of her. Taking the bucket she fastened it to the rope and turned the cord round. It descended slowly down the well, the handle jammed a moment as she reached the water far below. She brought it up slowly with a heave and the bucket appeared with soft water inside. Untying the bond she unfastened it from the rope and careful took the heavy bucket up in both hands.  
  
There was a cracking sound and she paused, it came from the bucket. Looking down she saw that the water had stopped moving. She touched it with her arm but it had become solid. She wrapped her knuckle against it and put it on the floor in curiosity "I don't believe it" she muttered to her self. The water had turned to ice. A dark shadow descended over her suddenly, she looked up quickly. A blue cloak and a rush of cold air.  
  
"Don't move" said Subzero, his eyes glanced at the building to his left, he breathed white cold air as if he had been smoking a cigar and then turned back to her "Is this Wong's place?"  
  
She backed off with a frightened look but her back met the wall and she moved no further "yes" she nodded hurriedly "Why do you want him?"  
  
"I've got business to attend to" replied Subzero turning away "You don't need to be frightened, just be glad your not involved"  
  
"Are you going to kill him?" she gasped "Please! I tell you it wasn't him whatever you've been told!" Subzero chuckled quietly "You have a guilty conscience, perhaps I should kill him anyway, it will save time for later"  
  
"No please!" she begged  
  
"I'm only kidding" replied Subzero coldly "You have no Sense of humor" he walked away leaving nothing but cold in the air. She took the buket up in her arms quickly and hurried after him. She'd hit him over the head if he attacked Wong. He entered through the door leaving a cold air trail behind him.  
  
Wong looked up as he entered with a gasp and watched as Mialta followed carrying the ice bucket.  
  
"Subzero?" he asked softly "Well I never, I haven't seen you in a while. Do you want something to drink?"  
  
"You got anything hot?" asked Subzero taking a seat, the fans above whirled softly freshening the warm air. He glanced up at them briefly before gazing at Wong. Wong sighed "I got some soup here, but I was going to drink it myself, you can have it if you want"  
  
"That will do" replied Subzero "The Lin kuei will no doubt reemberse you for anything I take"  
  
Wong had an anxious face but quickly placed the soup on the table without a second word. Subzero took up the bowl in both hands and drank it down, it was warm and good. It brought some life back into his cold frosty hands. He wrung them and held the bowl tight sucking up the warm life from inside.  
  
Mialta strode past and glanced suspiciously at Subzero as she went. She went over to the sink and washed her hands perhaps in disgust. She started on some dishes noisily that were already clean. Wong strode round and sat opposite the blue assassin. He frowned and rested his chin on his fist. Evidently having a Lin kuei assassin in the house wasn't his favorite occupation, you could tell he wanted to get rid of Subzero as soon as possible, the tension was in his face "Hard Night?" he asked.  
  
"Very" replied Subzero touching his cheek. The herbs amazingly enough had completely removed the visible bruising, but the cheek itself still stung from the various blows he had received the day before. It was thanks to Serriana the house maid that he had such good medicine, he'd have to thank her for it later.  
  
"You on the job or off it?" asked Wong getting down to business.  
  
"Off" replied Subzero briefly wiping his lips, he put the bowl down "I'm heading back to head quarters now"  
  
Mialta came up suddenly with an angry frown, she put the bucket down loudly on the table "Wong! Who is this person!" she demanded, she looked pretty in her own way, she had been toughened by her life. Wong as well was a handsome man with a neat pointed nose and sharp eyes, Subzero wondered whether they were going to marry.  
  
"Calm down Mialta and don't be so rood!" replied Wong with a meaningful glance "This is Arch assassin Subzero of the Lin kuei. Please Subzero forgive Mialta, she is ignorant of your profession"  
  
"I can forgive a pretty girl" replied Subzero leaning back "...Shame I can't forgive you, heck I don't know what your talking about Wong, tell the truth all I do is go about killing people, its dirty business"  
  
She frowned "What do you want? And why are you here!" she again demanded putting her hands on her hips. Wong glared fiercely at her "Your not making this easy Mialta!" he growled.  
  
"I disagree," replied Subzero "Lets get this over with. I need a horse that's good for the Gobi desert and enough rations to get me across, water and food"  
  
"We can't spare anything!" moaned Mialta "We're low on supplies as it is already!"  
  
"Mialta shut up!" roared Wong turning on her suddenly "Get out!" she hushed and backed off staring from one to the other. She ran back into the the kitchens and closed the door behind her. Wong rubbed his forehead and turned back to Subzero slowly "Silly girl, you need all that?"  
  
"My last method of transport broke" replied Subzero with a shrug "What does she mean you cannot do without the supplies? The Lin kuei pays you enough already"  
  
Wong sighed "I lie to her so I can pay her cheaper. But recently, we have been hard up, we still haven't received the payment for the last assassin who passed through here"  
  
"That is out of my control but on behalf of my clan I apologize for it. I will inquire about it I assure you"  
  
"Thank you very much" said Wong weakly "I only have one horse left"  
  
"Don't try to cheat me Wong" growled Subzero  
  
"Okay okay! I have three... one of them's a racer. I'm sorry I just didn't want you to take it" he sighed and rested his head on his hands in despair.  
  
"The Lin kuei has the right to take anything you own" returned Subzero with a threatening finger "The money invested in your property is not yours, these fans were bought with Lin kuei money, these chairs were bought with Lin kuei money, everything here is an investment, not a single retainers property"  
  
"Actually I bought the fans with profit" grumbled Wong with a frown  
  
"I could take the ceiling instead then"  
  
"Never mind" sighed Wong gazing down at the table. Subzero tilted the soup bowl in his hands and looked at the left over bits, onion rice and other vegetables "I haven't spoke to you in a while, how are things?"  
  
Wong smiled half-heartedly "Good I guess, customers are coming. We've got several rich regulars"  
  
"Who is this Mialta anyway? Is this where your extra profit has gone to?"  
  
"Heh, a man mustn't work too hard" he smiled  
  
"I just pray for your sake she's not listening to this conversation" said Subzero glancing towards a crack in the door. Wong widened his eyes and felt his neck pulse.  
  
"I need to leave before the sun rises" continued Subzero "...now"  
  
"This minute!? But I have to prepare the restaurant!" grumbled Wong with a gasp  
  
"I said now," said Subzero coldly "I mean now, show me the horse"  
  
Wong nodded half heatedly and lead Subzero through the door into the kitchen. Mialta frowned again as she passed through a side door into what looked like the storerooms. They passed into the kitchens where a cauldron was already boiling and then out into a large back garden, enough room to keep a horse exercised at any rate. Light was beginning to come in from the horizon as the sun rose. The stables were wooden things and Wong opened all three shutters to reveal three different horses. Subzero recognized the racehorse immediately. A small sleek brown one with sharp eyes "That will do fine" he smiled. The others were large workhorses a black and a white both spotted. He might not have taken it if Wong hadn't lied to him. But then again if he hadn't he would never have known that he might have and thus would have by default likely taken it anyway. This was sorcerer thinking, he disregarded it and got down to business.  
  
Crossing the Gobi desert is no easy feat. But when you have a race horse and the ability to create ice lollies out of thin air it becomes relatively easier. Dust rose under the morning sun as the horse crossed the sandy lands. The bright sun passed across the sky like a large ball of fire, heating and burning the dusty ground like a furnace.  
  
Subzero was heading north to the mountains. There the Lin kuei fortress was kept, a huge establishment built for assassins interested in the arcane arts. Its location was kept secret from the world and men, only sorcerers and the "gods" knew of its whereabouts. For ages past the hide out of the Lin kuei had never been found. It was itself a legend, rumored but never discovered.  
  
The air shimmered as the horse with its black flapping tail passed across the bleak sands. The sun was hot but Subzero knew how to keep cool. He slowed the horse down with the rains and it stopped, sand rising off of the hot baking ground. His hand glowed blue and he handed an icicle down to the horse's lips, it licked it thankfully and they set off again at high speed, dust rising up into the hot air. The sun moved round like clockwork and brought up like a second hour hand the moon in a pale glow lighting the desert with the coulers of the night. It was in the darkness that it became hardest for Subzero. He could feel the cold biting into his hands. He could move them there was no problem with that. They worked better in the cold. But they were painful and stang with pain. They went a pale blue in those times and burned his cheek if he touched them. He breathed hard on them to try and keep them warm, hot air coming up from the pits of his lungs. The horse whinnied as he touched its neck by accident, and it took him a long time to calm it down again. He calmed it with soft whispers and tried to familiarize it with the cold.  
  
The night passed into day and the day passed into night. The deserts are renowned for their ability to change on a massive scale their temperatures. Subzero looked forward to the day times and dreaded the cold nights. He fed the horse with the green packaging behind him that Wong had given him and fed himself seemingly less than the horse. Rice and dried bread and beans. It was not as much as he wanted, but there never was enough on or off the job. He looked forward to a good rest when he returned, hopefully he'd get a good chance to go off to one of the big cities of the world and enjoy a good vacation from his work. Still that seemed too good to be true. He was the Lin kuei's head assassin; he was always needed for some job or other. Perhaps being Grandmaster wouldn't suit him he wondered. Maybe retirement would be better, there were always others to take his place, as long as it wasn't that jerk Sektor.  
  
The clouds above moved slowly, and then began to speed up. They moved faster and Subzero knew the signs and knew that he was in trouble. He could feel the air currents; from the west he could feel hot air and from the north there was cold. The two meeting together was bad news. The sky was becoming dark and the sun was disappearing as evening came on. If this turned out to be the storm he thought it was going to be then it would likely in all events kill him. What could he do? He sped the horse on fast hoping to avoid it with a gallop.  
  
He had been in desert storms before, but never as ferocious as the one he received on that day. The sand billowed first across the sky hurting his face and almost blinding him before he brought up the blue cloak to guard his weather warn face. No rain came yet the sky flashed with lightning and he shivered with fear. This was extremely dangerous.  
  
The horse ran faster as he urged it on but to no advantage. The sky broke as harsh winds ripped down on the ground billowing the sand in great torrents and tornadoes. The downpour broke suddenly an onslaught of cold rain water onto the hot burning sands below. He shouted out as the sand and fury of the storm hit him from above and the horse panicked. Bolting it ran far and wide looking for shelter but there was none as Subzero tried his best to calm the moaning beast. The more he tried to hang on to the horse the more his freezing cold hands dug into its mane. It bucked suddenly and he was sent flying back to the ground with a scream. It disappeared into the torrent and he shouted out rolling aside trying to block his body from the stones. Wind picked him up and carried him far across the ground; he landed with a yelp of pain as the sky above flashed with thunder. If he stood up too far then the wind would carry him off and drop him too his death, this he knew was a risk, yet if he stayed where he was then the storm would finish him off for sure.  
  
He belted on through the chaos trying somehow to get to any kind of shelter. He could not see any way in front of him and often tripped or fell onto the sand below. The darkness and sand consumed all light, he was a single being locked in the dark room of the world. He shouted out loud and ran through the downpour skipping over sand and guarding his head with his cold hands. An impact hit him hard in the chest and face and he fell onto his back dazed. He got up as quickly as he could and felt what was in front of him. His eyes swam trying to pick up light, he could feel better than he could see. Stone, some kind of stone. He moved round taking the force on his back, he felt wood. A door he scratched across the surface feeling the wood bite into his nail and caught hold of the door handle. It gave way and he entered closing it with a slam behind him with no comprehension of what had just happened.  
  
His eyes were still black, yet slowly the couler appeared and he began to see things in the darkness. It was unusually quiet. The noise of a fire burned quietly to the far end of the room, he could see things, stone, wooden chairs.  
  
"Are you alright?" said an old voice in the darkness, he stumbled forward and fell to his knees feeling the floor. It was wood, moving forward he felt a rug "Who are you?" he replied rubbing his eyes, his voice was hoarse with pain. He raised his gaze slowly to see an old women looking down at him frail face and frail in body.  
  
"You poor thing" she said, her white hair fell down long over her black silk shoulders. Her clothes were all black and silky, a small dress that came down onto the floor covered her feet and legs from sight. It contrasted strongly with the simple interior of the house "Come have a seat by the fire, you must be exhausted"  
  
"Who are you!" repeated Subzero raising his voice  
  
"Oh you are so insistent!" she complained backing off "My name's Madame Ditdoe, I live here" she turned as if insulted to the fire, she rested her hand on the back of a large orange padded arm chair "have a seat" she beckoned. Subzero wanted to refuse but he felt too tired, in his weakened state even this women would be a match for him to assassinate. If she was a threat he'd just have to trust her until now. He sat down and warmed his freezing hands by the fire. The glow of the flames wasn't enough to quench the cold and he pulled the chair closer so that his hands were licked by the flames. Finally still not satisfied he put them right inside the fire where they smoked ice and water. After a good few seconds he started to feel pain and took them away gazing at the water on them dropping from his fingertips. Not even a scorch mark, the horrid cold had protected him as it departed. He shuddered as a nervous jolt went down his back bone.  
  
"You must be famished" smiled the old lady going to a table, she picked something up and returned "I've got an apple pie here if you want it"  
  
Subzero nodded hungrily and took it from her, his hands trembling he almost dropped the plate. She sat next to him in an old rocking chair and picked up knitting needles spinning webs with the wool. A large red ball of wool was at her feet and she kept it in place with her foot creaking back and forth on the old chair.  
  
"Why are you helping me?" asked Subzero in between mouthfuls. Madame Ditdoe smiled and made a loop in the pattern "Oh it's not often that I receive company in the desert. Always lost souls like yourself of course. If it was all the time I might not be so happy about it, but I don't mind the occasional visitor like yourself"  
  
"I don't understand" coughed Subzero leaning closer to the fire "Why are you out here in the desert?"  
  
The window pains flashed with lightning and rain ran down the glass across the wooden supports and down the stone walls outside. Jars were on the mantle piece along with Chinese dolls with eyes that follow you across of the room "I live here of course" she chuckled "You ask too many questions ... you got caught in a bad storm it seems"  
  
"Yes" sighed Subzero "I've never seen anything like it before" he rubbed his hands together hard and blew on them as he gazed out of the window. A reindeer head was on the wall yet at the time there didn't seem to be anything odd about that at all.  
  
Madame Ditdoe's expression changed suddenly as she leaned back to a serious one "Looks like Raiden's angry tonight, shame you got caught in all that"  
  
"You believe in all that bullshit?" asked Subzero  
  
"Of course I do. There's always a reason for a storm... you aren't running from anything are you?"  
  
"Of course not" replied Subzero glancing at the flames "I'm just crossing the Gobi desert"  
  
She paused a moment and crossed her legs the black silk draping down over the floor "Have you stolen anything recently?"  
  
Subzero shook his head and breathed hard on his hands, she gazed at him intently and he looked back surprised "How do you know about that?" he asked.  
  
"I do now" she replied coldly "Come on, show me. What was it? Some trinket? A holy item of some kind? Surely its not worth the trouble whatever it was"  
  
Subzero looked at her inquisitively before reaching into his blue robes "Your probably right" he murmured" he found the parchment rolled up and handed it to her "Be careful with that" he cautioned "That's my wages"  
  
She unrolled it and the same kind of light seemed to emanate from the dry paper. She looked it up and down and her lip hardened "Sacred map of elements aye? That's quite a big item to steal, no wonder Raiden's irritated, but between you and me I bet he doesn't know it was you"  
  
Subzero snorted "I've never seen a god in my life and I'm about as likely to meet one here as I am anywhere else, its a load of lies the lot of it"  
  
"Oh rubbish!" she replied with a wave of her hand and roll of her eyes  
  
"Do you know what Karl Marx said!?" asked Subzero pushing forward his view "Religion is the Opium of the people, now I don't like taking drugs. As far as I'm concerned I want to keep my feet on the ground, in this world, the only world!"  
  
"You don't believe in anything do you Subzero?" laughed Madame Ditdoe with a turn of the needle  
  
"I believe in my hands and my talent"  
  
"They didn't save you from the storm Subzero... you could have died out there"  
  
"We all die sooner or later" he returned looking into the flames he moved his hands close again and sighed rubbing his forehead "How do you know my name anyway?"  
  
"You told me" she shrugged  
  
"No I didn't," he returned gazing at her "Who are you?"  
  
She chuckled to herself again and patted her hair over her shoulder, the window flashed and thunder sounded out across the darkness "I told you already" she smiled "My name is Madame Ditdoe, I live in the desert and you found me through a stroke of luck"  
  
"No I mean who are you" inquired Subzero forcefully. She shook her head from side to side and turned away "You ask too many questions... now, as I do for all my guests I give out a free gift for coming to see me"  
  
"Thanks for being so generous" coughed Subzero fingering crumbs from the plate, the pie was very refreshing, he wished he'd tasted it better now. He'd been too hungry and tired to really taste it at the time. She got up from her chair and walked away to the back of the room "Lets see now what could you do with?" she fingered over jars slowly and looked across a wide selection of items. Many had strange things, bobbles or glass shapes. They all looked very expensive and also very fragile. A small plate had that same symbol of the dragon on. It seemed strange seeing that in a place so far from the temple. It seemed to be a popular design he'd seen it in several places in the Lin kuei head quarters.  
  
"I know, some of my miracle formula" she smiled coming back to Subzero, she handed him a small bottle with a pale green liquid inside.  
  
"What is it?" asked Subzero with a raise of the eye brows.  
  
"I call it Ditdoe formula" she smiled "It stops bruising. Just put a little bit here and a little bit there and you'll feel as solid as a rock"  
  
"Thanks" grumbled Subzero, he glanced at it once turning it over and then put it inside his robes without a second thought.  
  
"Oh, and just a thought, don't believe everything people say about that map, when humans are concerned the map tells the truth a lot better than any words can"  
  
Subzero laughed "To tell the truth Miss Ditdoe I'd like to see the back of this parchment as soon as possible, I got a real beating from the person I took it from"  
  
She smiled "Oh good for you, I hope you get rid of it as soon as possible! Dear me I hope you didn't hurt anyone too bad"  
  
"They'll live," muttered Subzero  
  
"I hope so" she replied, "The ending of a life is not something to ignore, remember that. It can come back on a person" Subzero grunted and dabbed his finger across his tongue, she yawned "I think its time for us both to get a good nights sleep. I don't know about you but I'm going to go to bed" she ascended the wooden stairs slowly a step at a time the black dress folding up the crevices and cracks.  
  
"I think I'll stay up for a bit myself" returned Subzero rubbing his eyes but already he felt deeply tired.  
  
"Suit yourself" she yawned and a moment later she was gone. Subzero stared at the fire and tried to think what he was doing and how he had come here, but he couldn't remember. The more he thought about it the more tired he felt as he gazed into those warm flames. The fire light in this place never seemed to hurt his eyes for some reason, his eyes slowly closed and he fell softly asleep in the warm orange chair. 


	3. Dragon's gate

Chapter 3: Dragon's gate  
  
Subzero heard the rain all night through closed eyes. He could feel the house as real as anything else he'd ever seen in his life. He could feel the chair and the storm seemed distant, something far away that didn't effect him. He listened to the rain that gradually began to quieten down as the night passed away. He sunk down deeper into the arm chair until he seemed to lay down on the warm floor itself. There was a leak in the roof, he could feel it dripping onto his face. It arrogated him and slowly he came to his wits rejuvinated by soft sleep. He opened his eyes to see blue clear sky. The horse was standing over him licking his face his ears listening to the sound of sandy cool winds.  
  
He groaned slowly and got to his feet, he gazed about him ahwile to see the vast desert stretching out in every direction. He could see the mountains distantly, he was almost there. He smiled to himself vaguely and patted the horse's back. The luggage was still all intact, he could feel the hot sand on his back yet strangely he felt completely recovered after the storm. His body had made an imprint in the sand he examined it a while before he slowly sighed and mounted the horse with a damp cougth. With a white glow of cold blue he handed the horse a small icicle which it took down whole and crunched with its teeth. He patted it on the back slowly.  
  
"I like you horse" he said quietly. It continued to crunch the icicle with little so much as a nod "What should I call you I wonder?" he pondered. He handed another icicle down that it licked slowly and graciously. He looked up at the sun with a chuckle "I suppose it better be something to do with myself, something cold maybe... you're loyal, you came back to me after the storm" the horse snorted and crunched the icicle with both teeth. The silence of the sand was ethereal.  
  
"Shivalry" he lauthed "I'll call you that, what do you think horse?"  
  
The horse noded vaguely under the sweltering sun and crunched down the icicle like biscuit "Lets be off then Shivalry" he said with a grin and with a light kick in the sides they set off again across the sandy horizon the sun burning down from the East.  
  
The desert changed slowly from sand to rock, and he found himself at Dragon's gate inbetween the rocks. It was a huge metal construction built to prevent assault, arrow holes pointed out of the rock walls. The dragon emblem was across the middle in rusty red patterns so that when the door opened it was split in two. Spikes and sharp swords were sticking out on various points of the rocky walls giving a firm insinuated message (go away).  
  
"Who's there!" called a voice "Speak up or we shoot"  
  
He gazed slowly across the wall to find the gap where the sound had come from. A cross bow was being pointed towards him. He filled with anger from his long trek across the desert.  
  
"Don't be so bloody rood!" he roared back "How dare you speak to me like that! Its me Subzero, now open that gate before I close it over your own empty skull!"  
  
"Yes sir! Sorry sir I didn't realise it was you!" faltered the gate keeper and hurriedly turned a handle. The sound of iron chains being rotated came through the walls and slowly the great gate opened with sheets of dust and a loud echoed klank. Subzero lead the horse through quickly on foot and whispered to it quietly to stop if from bolting. The corridoors were made of rock with wooden beams holding up the roof like a mining tunnel. Light bulbs lit the passageway all dull, some had gone out. One had fallen and he lead the horse round it his own boots crunching on the glass. A dark figure came forward in the distance and Subzero took the blue hood down to see it better.  
  
"Welcome back Subzero" smiled a dark skinned man. Black dreadlocks went down the back of his head, his clothes were all gold coulered like gold leaf with a simple black belt round his weist. Intricate red patterns went down his clothes and Subzero grinned as he came forward. The two embraced and looked at each other "How's the fish biting?" asked Subzero with a smile.  
  
"Not too bad if I do say so myself, never of course as good as your own record"  
  
"Don't worry about my record, to tell the truth I'm getting tired of being the favourite arround here, I never get a moments peace. Hey, speaking of which has you or Smoke ever thought about taking my place?"  
  
"Heh" he chuckled "I doubt that very much Subzero, we couldn't fill your shoes, me or Smoke. I don't know about everyone else but I'm content where I am"  
  
"Where is Smoke anyway? And why are you down here at this time of day" asked Subzero his eyebrows raised, he took the mouth silk piece down to reveal his dry lips.  
  
"Me? I'm here for the stroll" grinned the other "I'm doing it every morning now, I like to take a ride through the desert on horse back, meeting you here was complete chance. Now Smoke, I think he's having his measurments taken"  
  
"What for?" asked Subzero surprized "He's not getting new clothing or something is he?"  
  
"Nah he's way traditional not like me" he lauthed  
  
"Yes," replied Subzero hardening his lip "you'd do a lot better Cyrax if you did wear the traditional clothing. The Grandmaster has said to me several times he'd like you alot better if you did... you like yellow it seems why not dress in it?"  
  
"I am!" he chuckled with a wave of his dreadlocks "Gold's cool, anyhow if I did dress up like you guys you'd probably do me in thinking me to be Scorpion"  
  
"Anyway more to the point" waved Subzero "Why is Smoke having his measurments taken?"  
  
Cyrax raised his hands in the air "Some strange new tecknology they're developing, they took mine and that idiot Sektors. They want four sets for something or other, I don't know who the fourth person will be, or what this technology is but they payed me well for it"  
  
Subzero frowned and looked at Cyrax with a meaningful stare "Be carefull" he said softly "I've seen a lot of strange stuff recently, inside and out of our clan. Keep your wits about you Cyrax"  
  
"Will do sir" nodded Cyrax with a mock salute  
  
Subzero lauthed and patted him on the shoulder "Get out of it" he chuckled "If your going to the stables you might as well take this horse with you"  
  
"Yeah alright" groaned Cyrax "I'll do it for you"  
  
The elevator was much more modern looking than the tunnel. It was metalic with sliding doors and a large keypad of buttons and numbers on the side. He pressed the red button for the top floor and the elevator started with a metalic shudder. He waited patiently as people got on and off of the lift. Many recognised him and saluted or bowed in traditional fashion as they entered. A lot of the traditions Subzero noticed had become lax over the years. Not that he cared, most of it was a waste of time. But it did worry him that this unprofessional style could spread into the jobs themselves. They used to get whipped if they didn't bow to an Arch Assassin, now people could get away with it and nobody really cared. It was still in the rule book and in Subzero's power but nobody else did it, except Sektor. He was loyal as a rock to the Lin quei cause. He seemed to have no mind of his own, he was mommas boy always kissing the Grandmaster's behind. Subzero tightened his knuckle thinking of him. He was just the kind of person to irritate anyone and especially Subzero. He'd contemplated several times going out of his way to remove him for good. But he'd never gotten arround to it. Sektor perhaps didn't realise how much Subzero hated him, or maybe he did? Subzero could never really be completely sure, either way Subzero would be very happy if Sektor somehow ended up dead.  
  
The minor trainees and assassins all had simple red silk costumes with belts with different coulers depending on their rank. They were enforced to wear coulers of their rank unlike their superiors. Arch Assassins could wear what they wanted when they wanted. It was argued that they should know better what they should wear due to their extreme experiance, but there was the traditional clothes in red. Most of them changed the coulers arround to suit their preferences and make themselves stand out from the crowd but some did stick to red and routine. People not unlike Sektor, the traditionalists. Subzero wanted some tradition, he was worried the Lin quei was slowly changing in a way he didn't want it to. But Sektor wasn't really a traditionalist, the only reason he used traditional robes was to show his loyalty to the grand master. It was a form of gaining power and control over his peers. Cyrax was a wild card who put on any old thing. The gold silk seemed to be his favourite clothing, he was recognised almost more than Subzero about the fortress for his wacky behaviour and dress sence. Arch Assassins always knew the others by name. It was said that every Arch assassin had links to each other.  
  
The lift stopped with a shudder and Subzero suddenly realised he was the only person left in it. He exited into a cold decorated religeous chambour. The ceiling had the symbol of the dragon on it. He exited all the gold and splendour to the outside with hardly a second thought. As far as Subzero was concerned the gold didn't belong to him and thus wasn't worth his interest.  
  
On top of the mountains the snow was passing through the air even colder than the temple where he had taken the map. He crossed the icy wooden bridge and entered through double doors into the court of the Grandmaster himself. His hands stung again he tightened his knuckles as he came entering into the circular mini throne room.  
  
A robed man all in red sat opposite. He was the head of the Lin quei nicknamed the king of assassins. Subzero entered and bowed on the stone floor.  
  
"Grandmaster in honour of the Lin Kuei I bring you this sacred map of elements" said Subzero in traditional fashion, he bowed on the ground before the master in a fashion that emplored the old crone's forgiveness. He only did it to keep up the Grandmaster's trust, and of course the pay wages. But the Grandmaster was still one of Subzero's enemies, the sooner he died the sooner Subzero could take control and get the Lin quei moving as he envisioned it. Cold ruthless precision, none of this disrespect. He wanted complete military format with the best training and best assassins. When he took over as he often said to himself in his sleep the first person he'd dispose of would be Sektor.  
  
"Once again our most cunning assassin and thief is successful. At ease my Lin Kuei warrior" smiled the Grandmaster gesturing one hand forward, the red and black gave him a demonic look. A mystery man who gave great impression on the weaker subjects. A black shape came out of the shadows who previously Subzero had completely overlooked, he cursed himself silently for not keeping up his concentration.  
  
"Greetings, I see the ninja has been successful in retrieving my map, as I have foreseen"  
  
He was a pale faced man who looked like Death himself. The face was skull like with stretched skin and a once pointed nose that looked like it had been broken several times. He was not ugly but had a hardened air to him. Black armoured padding with spiked shoulder pads and blue leggings with black boots. Subzero had never seen anyone who looked more disagreable in his life. There was no way that this person could possibly be doing anything for the benefit of mankind.  
  
"Let's get something straight" interupted Subzero putting his finger forward "I am not a ninja, I am Lin Kuei. Scorpion was a ninja!" it surprised Subzero that the Grandmaster was not offended by this persons's tone. Subzero was not about to let someone call him a ninja.  
  
"Ah yes, your Japanese counterpart. It's unfortunate that you happened upon him in your battle with the pesky Shaolin monks" said the skull faced man with a mock look of concern. He was obviously paying well or he'd be dead by now.  
  
"Scorpion was tipped off. He knew I was breaking into that temple! And if he weren't there, there wouldn't have been a battle! You are responsible for this, sorceror!" acused Subzero coming threateningly close to him.  
  
"I'll admit, I also retained Scorpion's services in case you failed. I needed some assurance" replied the skull head again with that horrible smile of his.  
  
"Well, your peace of mind almost cost me this mission" roared Subzero, the sooner he saw the better of this person the better, perhaps he should kill them both now?  
  
"Enough! Quan Chi, what about our payment?" said the booming voice of the Grandmaster. Subzero growled inwardly, that was all the Grandmaster cared about wasn't it? Money, and money was all. Still Subzero wouldn't complain as long as he was payed... but he could see the irony in that.  
  
"Oh yes, I almost forgot. In this bag are the bones of your arch-nemesis and leader of Scorpion's ninja clan, the Shirai Ryu" smiled Quan chi handing a brown leather bag over to the Grandmaster. The Grandmaster reached his hand into the bag and smiled clutching his hand round an object he brought out a shiny skull. Stepping up from his seat he walked arround the room gazing at it with satisfaction "And this is the skull of the leader of the Shirai Ryu?"  
  
"It most certainly is" beamed Quan chi "I stripped it of its flesh myself"  
  
"Ha!" lauthed the Grandmaster returning to his chair "Our anchient foes have been vanquished in one transaction!"  
  
"I have personally made certain" began Quan chi with deep satisfaction glowing on his face "that every last remenant of their clan has been eliminated... forever"  
  
"You see Subzero" said the Grandmaster turning to the blue assassin "you can trust a sorcerer sometimes" he paced across the room and deposited the skull back in the bag with a soft click of bone "Now you will use the map on your next mission. Quan chi has once again retained your services"  
  
"Fine give me the details" grumbled Subzero "There goes my holiday" he sighed inwardly. Quan chi grinned again and began speeking "This map you stole, it shows the way to a temple which predates man's recorded history on Earth. For thousands of years the Temple of Elements has been hidden in what are now Known as the Himalayan mountains of Nepal. This map is the only evidence of its existence"  
  
"Fine! I get to the Temple and then what? What's inside?" questioned Subzero looking for holes. He didn't want to run into Scorpion again. Ironically what Quan chi had in mind was much much worse little did Subzero know it.  
  
"A small Amulet. Worthless to you, but let's just say it has great sentimental value to me" he said with a mischivous smile.  
  
"If it's so precious, why don't you get it yourself?" spat Subzero walking slowly forward.  
  
"I cannot enter the temple until the four elements within its walls have been defeated. And I am not on the best of terms with the gods of your realm. Especially your god of thunder"  
  
Subzero rolled his eyes "Tell me about these 'elements'"  
  
"They are the four elements which comprise the very existence of your realm. Wind, Earth, Water, and Fire. With your mastery of the element of Cold, you have an advantage that no other human has. The ability to defeat the elements. I have foreseen this"  
  
"You forsee a lot of things don't you" grumbled Subzero "How on earth do you expect me to destroy these elements? I thought the gods were supposed to be imortal"  
  
"Imortal is the wrong word, there are ways of destroying lesser gods permanantly, but lets not go into that right now... The elements can be killed just as any other physical being can be. You can destroy their bodies but their souls will survive and eventually return to new ones"  
  
"How do you suppose then" lauthed Subzero "That I stop them from possessing me when I defeat them?"  
  
"That knoledge has been lost to the gods of your realm for generations, and for some reason they seem to show no interest in regain..."  
  
"Is that all Quan chi?" interupted the grandmaster fingering a bone from the bag, he placed it across his knee with a yawn "I am tired of this conversation"  
  
"That is all Grandmaster" replied Quan chi with a bow "Unless Subzero here has anything to add?"  
  
"I'm fine" grunted Subzero  
  
"Then its settled then" smiled Quan chi "We shall keep your grace no longer"  
  
The two warriors assassin and sorcerer exited through the double doors outside into the icy mountains. They walked slowly across the bridge together without a word Quan chi stopped a moment and looked out at the clouds that covered the distant desert. Subzero turned agrivated "What!?" he asked. Lightning flashed below and Quan chi grinned "I'm impressed Subzero. You beat Scorpion and handled that monk excellantly"  
  
"How do you know about that!" gasped Subzero breathing cold white furious air.  
  
"I was there of course, watching how you both did. You have something that appeals to me Subzero, some ambition that I like and never saw before"  
  
"Forgive me for not being able to retort with a pleasantry" growled Subzero whietening his knuckle "I warn you sorcerer, I don't like people who make me do two jobs in a row... if I don't get payed well I'm coming back for you" he said slowly emphasising the last words with great intent.  
  
Quan chi for a moment shuddered then looked down at the lightning storm below. The wooden bridge swayed and he regained his confidence with a grin "Do you ever get the feeling Subzero that everything we are told is wrong?"  
  
"Heh I get that all the time" grumbled Subzero relaxing a little  
  
"I see these people of the earth realm struggling with their leaders, their pathetic politiciens who want to make the world a better a place. I have come to learn that there can only be order through chaos. It doesn't matter who controls the wheel as long as they do it with an iron hand and one will that is not divided from the rest"  
  
"I guess I can see some light in that" mumbled Subzero tightening his cold fingers round the rope.  
  
"Can you see Subzero where this realm failed? Can you see why they are weak? Where does our true power come from Subzero? When you defeated Scorpion was it in the light of hollyness or in the strength of hate?"  
  
"Heh this is why I never converse with sorcerers" yawned Subzero "You bore me with all this magic talk. If there's any gods then they left long ago"  
  
"Indeed the ones who could change things did" whispered Quan chi omnimously and dangerously.  
  
"Speaking of Scorpion" continued Subzero "I hope your mind is relinquished enough to not send him this time"  
  
Quan chi lauthed out loudly "Oh Subzero you fool. Scorpion won't be doing anything ever again, his clan is extinct and you killed him"  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Subzero in surprise. Lightning flickered down below and a small Tornado passed underneath the bridge.  
  
"He died of bleeding after you left him there. Your act was merciful of cource... but unfortunately it did no save him or his pathetic clan the Shiri Ryu from oblivion. I felt his pulse myself and can assure you that he is dead, you will never have to worry about him again"  
  
Subzero was silent for a long time he stared out at the storm below a sudden strange fear gripping him "You are certain he is dead?"  
  
"Dead and everything that is asociated with him" grinned Quan chi mischiviously "You did well Subzero, you are an honor to your clan. Yet you are more than that... you know it. You have greater potential, you are going to do the world a great deed Subzero, you are going to release the world from its tyrants. You are better than Scorpion ... I will meet you again soon"  
  
There was a flash of green and when Subzero turned to where the sorcerer had been standing he was gone. Scorpion was dead, yet somehow he felt deprived, this was wrong. Why was Scorpion dead? Fate it seemed had intervened his decision to change things. He had wanted to make a difference from what was expected of him, but now his nemesis was dead anyway "I meant to spare him" he whispered he whitened his knuckles. He was still nothing but a murderer.  
  
Subzero's mansion was lower down the mountains. When the lift opened he found he was this time inside of the storm. He wrapped the blue cape tightly arround him and headed out across the green path to his house. The rain pelted against his hood and mud splashed up across his thighs even at his slow walking pace. He pondered Quan chi's words as he went ignoring the peltering weather that showered over him. It seemed strange that he could be so close to the desert and yet be now walking on grass. He passed the dim lights from other houses, lanterns were hung on doors that glowed dimly onto the paths. The sound of crying children and talk came from within the houses.  
  
He broke off from the muddy path cutting across grass and slowly came upon the large house the stone bricks reaching up into the sky. A wooden porch with beams held up a small roof that held under it the double doors. He hurried up the wooden steps and knocked on the door. The lanterns were not lit on this house. He waited ahwile and then knocked again, it clicked and an old lady stood inside the door.  
  
"Serriana" muttered Subzero entering.  
  
"Subzero!" she replied taking the coat from him "Are you ok? How are things master?"  
  
"Excellant apart from the fact that I have to go away to Himalayan mountains tomorow on a crazy sorcerer quest" spat Subzero "I want an early breakfast tomorow, make sure everything is to my liking"  
  
She nodded hurriedly putting the cloak on a stand. Her hair was grey and she had on a simple brown robe. Metal circular earings were round her ears and her old rinkled face showed small green eyes with dry old lips. As well as being a house servant she was an expert in medicines, she brewed Subzero many a herb and potion to take with him on his jobs. She was essential to his sucess and would be hard to replace if ever anything happened to her.  
  
Subzero irritated by the weather went streight up the steps to his own room at the top most point of the house. He entered closing the door behind him, his bed was made untouched. The room was dark and in a strange way made him think of the temple. Large segmented windows lined the walls of the room and outside he could see the storm pelting down on the world with great flickers of lightning. The thunder god was angry yet he didn't know who had stolen the map. He reached into his robes with a grin and felt for the map. He didn't find it, he panicked a moment before it fell out onto the ground unrolled with something else beside it. He knelt down with a sigh of relief and picked both objects up. The sky outside flickered with lightning and he looked the object over.  
  
A small green crystal bottle, the carpet had saved it from breaking. He took out a match and lit a candle that was fixed to the wall. He held the ornate crystal bottle up to the light and read the label "Dit Doe Formula" it said in flowing green writing that seemed to glow mysteriously in the darkness. He gasped looking at it slowly and then gazed out at the storm. It dawned on him slowly. He may need it she had said.  
  
If Madame Dit doe had not been just a dream then neither were the gods. He walked out slowly across the room and touched the glass. It was cold and he watched the water drip down the pains. Lightning flashed and lit the room in a white glow before it died down and only the candle's dim brightness lit the room leaving deep shadows "Rayden truely is angry" he whispered slowly and knew for certain that soon he would be going up against the gods themselves. 


	4. More Dragons

Chapter 4: More Dragons  
  
Next morning when Subzero woke he found that the door was open. Serriana had brought in his breakfast on a silver tray. Rice, eggs wine and vegtables he consumed it thankfully and gave his thanks. He lay back down and wished he hadn't woken up. This was the day he was due to start his expedition. Little did he know how difficult it was going to to be. This was going to be a big important job. Perhaps the most important he'd ever take.  
  
He looked up at the pattened rich ceiling and across to the large windows. There was a Lin quei coming down the path below. He rushed out of bed and peered through the curtains. An Arch assassin, he relaxed. It was only smoke. He was dressed in traditional fashion except that his silk was coulered grey and black unlike the usual red. Subzero smiled to himself, he hadn't seen Smoke in a good long time. Every time he returned to the lin quei Smoke was gone on his own mission. A promising young candidate, he was efficient.  
  
Subzero walked across the room. He had dark black hair with a firm face and nose. His lips were always emotionless, he hardly ever needed to use them. He stretched once and withdrew a blue costume from a large ornate wardrobe at the other side of the room. He started to dress before there was a dull knock at the door.  
  
"Master Subzero" came Serriana's voice "Its Smoke here come to see you, do you want me to invite him in or tell him to come back later?"  
  
"Bring him in" he called back fitting the silk mouth piece into place in front of the mirror "Tell him I'll be down shortly... you sure its Smoke?"  
  
"He looks the same to me master, but I'd be afraid to check if you know what I mean"  
  
"That's all" he replied with a frown. He heard her footsteps decend down the wooden stair case. Subzero liked Smoke. Of all the people in the world Smoke was the only person Subzero felt he could really trust. Smoke himself had gone through some of the same hardships as himself. He had a talant, a magical ability to turn himself into nothing but a thin layor of dusty vapour. He was a dangerous assassin and could use his ability to get through the smallest of gaps.  
  
Even so in a camp of assassins Subzero didn't like decending his own stair case unless he had a couple of Shurikens up his sleeve. These he deposited in various places about his person, they were always up a sleeve or down a side pocket ready in an instant. His lips had smiled when he saw Smoke coming down the path but now mellow it hadn't moved since. Under the mouth piece they stayed fixed in one place. He rubbed his hands hard and blew on them before attaching the wrist guards. Those hands were cold again.  
  
Before the day began he liked to warm himself up. He backflipped once and punched against the thin air. He brought his kicks up high aiming for Scorpion's imaginary face. He stopped and bent forward stretching his legs and arms. It took him a good twenty minutes before he was happy and willing to see one of his best freinds. He never took any chances, yet it pained him somewhat that he always had to take such precautions.  
  
The fact that he wanted to get rid of Sektor was a notable point. But he knew for sure that there were pleanty of ambitious Lin quei out there who wanted to get rid of him as well. He stopped just by the door and looked across the room. He walked over to a small table by his bed and looked down at a small object.  
  
A green bottle with small luminous flowing letters "Ditdoe forumla" he picked it up and took it to the door. It still refused to be just a dream. He took his cape off of the peg and brought it round his shoulders depositing the small bottle inside a pocket. Opening the door he decended the wooden steps down to the hall, entering through another door he came into the dinning room where he saw Smoke sitting at the end of a very long table. Even now the grey mist was rising off him like a frosty morning being warmed by sun.  
  
The mansion was large, he didn't care for it much himself. It was the principle of it that was more important. Being the best servant he had to make sure his possessions looked the part. That meant having a good house and servant to be proud of.  
  
"Its good to see you Subzero" said Smoke warmly, he had a deep mysterious voice that Subzero liked. Taking a chair out a place away from Smoke he sat down facing him.  
  
"Hey Smoke, what can I do for you?"  
  
"Nothing at all actually" chuckled Smoke "I've been sent to escort you to your transport"  
  
"Escort me? By force?" replied Subzero raising his eyebrows with displeasure  
  
"No of cource not" chuckled Smoke slowly "I hear you're doing a big job. The Grandmaster is paying me to make sure you get to the helecopter in one piece"  
  
"How odd" lauthed Subzero "A privrate escort Smoke? This must be the easiest job you've ever done. Serriana!" he called. She appeared out of a side door "Bring my freind here something nice to drink" she nodded with a pleasantry and hurried away.  
  
"This is a nice place you got here" said Smoke looking up at the decorated ceiling  
  
"Heh, its not quite to my taste really but it keeps the rain off" he grunted in reply resting his arms on the back of the chair.  
  
Smoke leaned back ahwile his blue eyes seeming to grow searching for a moment, something that was puzzling him "Have you heard the news?"  
  
"What news" yawned Subzero widening his mouth for a good long time. He stopped and looked back at Smoke who he noticed still hadn't replied "I presume I haven't. The Grandmaster doesn't give me much time to socialise nowadays"  
  
Smoke looked from side to side quickly and then leaned closer across the table bringing his elboes forward "The say the Shiri Ryu's been completely wiped out. It's been on the news, a huge masacre in Japan. Blood and bodies everywhere, do you think whoever did it means to take us out as well?"  
  
"Heh na that was Quan chi" chuckled Subzero he looked up with a smile as Serriana came in with drinks "Ah just put that down over here Serriana dear and then you can get back to whatever you were doing"  
  
"Quan chi?" asked Smoke pensively "That sorceror who hired you?"  
  
"Yup" replied Subzero with a shrug "He did it as payment to the Grandmaster for my services... of cource you must keep this strictly confidential Smoke I know I can trust you of all people. On my mission I managed to kill Scorpion at the same time, a pretty good combination for the Grandmaster. On Scorpion's part I actually meant to spare him, but that Quan chi person told me that he's dead"  
  
"Better for it eh?" lauthed Smoke "Still I'm glad its not you who did all that killing"  
  
"Why's that?"  
  
Smoke paused and sat back again. He looked out of the window onto the grass outside, it was a nice day and the sun came in throguh the windows lighting the room with a golden glow.  
  
"I dunno... it just shouldn't be done you know what I mean? The Shiri Ryu was certainly a lot smaller than we ever were... but they've got history and prestigue behind them. A lot of knoledge they had kept away in their book shelves and in their masters heads. I often wonder whether there was another motive"  
  
"Who cares" replied Subzero with a shrug "As long as I'm alive to spend the money. When I finish this job Smoke I'll be rich you know that? I'll invite you on holiday with me somewhere how about that?"  
  
"You should be careful Subzero" whispered Smoke with a glance at the door "There's a lot of people who think that you got rid of the Shiri Ryu... nobody really knows what you did on that job with Quan chi cos the Grandmaster has kept it all quiet like. People keep saying things to me, that you're dangerous and that you should be gotten rid of" smoke stopped short. Subzero was lauthing "What's so funny?" he asked with a frown.  
  
Subzero lauthed hard and spilled some of the wine down his front "Oh the whole thing is Smoke, and I don't really know why I'm lauthing. To tell the truth Smoke yes I probably am dangerous as they put it they should get rid of me. But which one of them is going to have the guts to do it eh? I'll have their head and spine off of them before they can say backstab"  
  
"I'm glad you're confident" replied Smoke with a shudder "Just let me say that I'm not sure I'd like to be in your shoes right now..."  
  
Smoke and Subzero came to the helecopter unhindered. It roared up into the air after they had said their good byes and soon the Gobi desert was passing underneath as if Subzero's journy back to the Lin quei had been nothing but a short stroll.  
  
The driver was called Tringle and had worked with many of the best Lin quei assassins on different missions. He'd worked for Subzero several times, his job was mainly transportation. He wasn't an arch assassin but had managed through other means to aquire the same power and almost the same sallery as one mainly through coming from the west. He'd learned in one of the numerous Shaolin temples after he'd decided that a military career in the U.S wasn't his thing. When he came to the Lin quei he brought a lot of knoledge with him even though his actual skill wasn't enough to enlist him as a full arch assassin. He had a lot of respect.  
  
His hair was coulered green every chance he got, a dark complexion with a brick like face he was more firm and morbid than even Subzero was. It was a pleasure working with him and Subzero enjoyed it imensely. He could rely on Tringle completely. It was very rare for him to socialise, he just did what he was payed for and that was it. No messing about.  
  
When Subzero finnaly arrived at the Himalayn mountains it was dark and he was exhausted. He watched as Tringle took the helecopter away and shuddered realising that now he was completely on his own. He stayed in a small village near by where he had supper and a nights rest. The streets were small and the ground uneven and easy to trip up on going up or down hill. The people round here were mostly cattle raisers and farmers. As much as the tall mountain ranges had to offer as a tourist attraction it seemed evident that little of the money found its way down to the inhabitants themselves.  
  
The sky was dark that night and a storm brew up in the sky. Lightning flashed and rain poured all night like a monsoon. Subzero turned in the small bed looking up every now and again to see a great flash of light cut across the sky. He shivered in the small bed and waited eagerly for the morning to come. He wasn't ignorant of the storm and every moment it lingured he pondered Madame Ditdoe's words. Surely if Rayden knew that the map had been stolen then he would no doubt try and reaquire it at this temple?  
  
He turned over in the night and outside the sky displayed a mirage of purples blues and white flashes of thunder. The sky was tearing itself apart as rain and hail battered down on the small village below. He couldn't imagine how the people in the small thatched huts could survive this kind of weather. He was lucky to be in a brick house, but even so he could here the noise on the roof like thousands of tiny feet dancing to a tune with no beat. He shivered in his sleep, his hands were like lumps of ice, he kept them close to his body to try and keep the heat in them, but instead they seemed to take it out of him.  
  
He couldn't sleep, he was up before sunrise with hardly a wink he headed down the stairs. The storm was quiet now, only the noise of rain dripping off of the roof into puddels below could be heard. The sky rumbled distantly as the storm passed on to trouble other people. He found the front doors of the acomadation locked and exited through the window. He'd payed the bill; they'd insisted that before he was even aloud to enter the rooms. He wasn't trying to avoid any costs instead he was irritated that these people tried to enforce power over him that they didn't have. If he wanted to leave in the early morning then no foreigner was going to stop him.  
  
As far as the map was concerned it was very inacurate, but was the only clue to the mountain temple's where abouts. Wrapping the blue cloak arround him he started up the mountain following the map as best as he could. Tringle he was glad to notice had dropped him on the correct side of the mountain unlike the last idiot pilot. If he hadn't had to cross round the whole mountain to get to the temple he may have beaten Scorpion to that wretched map and need never have killed the bastard. He'd get even with that pilot sooner or later. It was no doubt in Subzero's mind that the pilot had done it completely by mistake, but that kind of thing wasn't forgiveable in the Lin quei. He'd deal with the punishment himself, personally.  
  
He passed through a dark valley where on either side of him the rocky walls loomed up high on either side. He'd taken a wrong turning, he gazed at the old parchment and cursed quietly. His feet crunched on the pebbles and stones as he looked vainly for a way up the mountain side. It was hard to see in the darkness and what was worse is that he felt a drop of rain on his hand. It seemed the skies weren't finished with pouring on him yet, and somehow he doubted that if he got caught out this time there would be any old ladies to help him out. He wondered vaguely whether this storm was the same one returning or another moving towards him. But in the darkness of the valley it was hard to even see a few paces in front of him let alone the black weather patterns of the skies above.   
  
He was just about to head back from the trail when he heard a noise in the darkness. First a crunch to his right by the rocky face, another to his left his eyes moved to both. Another noise behind, a trap, animals didn't move in these kind of patterns although the movements did seem rather animalish. He stopped walking and placed his feet firmly on the ground. The shuffling stopped, he thought quickly of what he should do. He didn't yet know what the enemie's tactics would be. Would they try and kill him imiediately? Or would they first try getting information out of him?  
  
The footsteps had stopped moving, he was making them wary "Don't worry I'm unarmed" he said to the darkness. There was a shuffle and the three noises moved closer, one circled behind him the others appeared in front bolstered by his words.  
  
"Stick yer hands up" said a rusty voice behind him. He felt almost as if he were in a budget cow boy film, he did so. He could see the other two now in front of him. One was as tall as he was the other was taller and looked strong. The taller man had a machete and the one of his own height had a smaller blade that appeared to be decorated. The man behind him had a pistol, he was the one Subzero was being careful of.  
  
"You Red Dragon?" said the tall one in front of him with a grunt.  
  
This was a tricky question. Subzero knew that if he answered wrongly then these people who were no doubt in some kind of gang would kill him. If he answered corectly then he might just live, that gave him two options.  
  
"You gonna talk or are we gonna shut ya up for good?" said the shorter of the two. The dagger gleamed as he held it up in the darkness. This was not good. Subzero instead took the third option. He slid back suddenly on icy feet and elbowed the gunman in the face. A shot fired with an orange glow, it was silenced and the nozzle gave off a low loud squeak of a sound as the bullet hit the ground.  
  
Holding on to the gunman he kicked the other two away with a double kick to both torsoes. He gripped the wrist hard and twisted freezing the bone until the man cried out in pain. There was a snap and the gun fell to the ground. Taking an arm round the man's neck he broke it much the same way Scorpion had planned to kill him, except this came with no resistance.  
  
The other two fumbled in the dark now groping and picked up the blades. They rushed forward hoping to make a quick end to this fight. The tall man lunged forward cleaving the air. Subzero easily dodged aside. With a subtle wrist he curved the other blow from the man with the dagger so that he hit his taller freind. He cried out in pain in the darkness as blood ran down his leg. Subzero dived to the ground and with a circle sweep he brought both men crashing to the stones. Compared to Scorpion these people were amatures. Cats among Tigers who Subzero had no problem squashing. He stood to his feet and with a rush of air brought his leg down aiming for the taller man's neck he missed and hit the chest with a crack of ribs.  
  
He brought his attention to the shorter attacker and with burning cold hands brought forward a smashing blow sending him flying back several meters before he hit the ground. Ice and snowy shards flew up into the air from the devasting blow and glittered like glass under the starlight. Quickly he brought one hand arround the tall man's neck and froze it. His voice shouted out becoming quiet suddenly as the ice spread up into his head and chilled the brain.  
  
"Too easy" commented Subzero wringing his hands. He walked slowly over to the remaining attacker and found him choking on the ground. He was broken physically and mentally from the blow, his stomach was blue with ice.  
  
"Please don't kill me Mister I werent gann hurt you I promis"  
  
"A likely story" replied Subzero grabbing him by the neck he lifted him up and hurled him across the ground onto the hard pebbles. Winded he cried out rolling aside onto a bloody face. Subzero was quick to arrive beside him again he picked him up by the neck and held him aloft.  
  
"Who do you work for? Tell me unless you would like me to hurl you again"  
  
"The Black Dragon" cougthed the man trying to free his neck.  
  
"What were you doing here out late at night in the mountains?"  
  
"We're trying to find out about a temple arround this area, we thought you might be red dragon come to kill us"  
  
Subzero paused a moment in thought. He tightened his grip and spoke slower this time "This Black dragon group... it wouldn't happen to have a lot of money would it?"  
  
"Yes of cource!" gasped the man "Its very rich, if you let me live I can pay you"  
  
"Again a likely story" and again the man flew across the ground and landed with a curse amongst the rocks. He looked bad now, the wounds would need stitches not to mention the likely broken bones.  
  
"Please!" he shouted out but Subzero's hand grabbed him again by the neck and he was lifted into the air.  
  
"I don't want your stinking money. You don't have enough to pay me... instead I have a message for your employer. If ever he needs a good job done then he can hire Subzero of the Lin quei. Perhaps if he'd payed me instead of you useless wretches he might have actually gotten some results, now get out of my sight"  
  
He nodded anxiously and stumbled off down the trail like a diseased beggar. Subzero thought nothing more of it. He was always on the look out for career oppertunities, it probably wouldn't reap anything but it was in his mind worth the effort leaving the last man alive.  
  
Following the map the hardest point in the journy was climbing up a virtical rock face with hardly a foot hold. This was the kind of thing Subzero was trained to do with ease although it didn't feel like that, every step was an effort against gravity. It was at times like these that his unfeeling cold hands really did come in useful. The rain started now more constant than before and up in the sky the black clouds rumbled with foreboding energy. As far as Subzero was concerned he was in no mood to be caught out in a storm like the one that had happened only that night. He sped up the pace with a glance skywards.  
  
After several wrong turnings and several moments where he almost gave up altogether he climbed up a windy crag of rock and found the temple. It was a huge circular entrance embedded in the mountain itself.  
  
The air was tighter up here. He realised with some thanks as he looked back that the clouds were now above him. A flicker of lightning crossed the clouds below and he realised with some surprise how high he really had gone up the mountain. He turned back to the entrance, a large stone circular door blocked his entrance into the building. It was cold up here above the sky line and he didn't know how to get in. He looked at the map with uncertainty, this had to be the temple. How many temples were there in the mountains anyway? He certainly wasn't going to go looking for another one "Temple of elements? Sorry son that's next door. My ass" thought Subzero.  
  
"Open the door with the element that is cold and yet burns"  
  
That was the clue. It took Subzero a surprisingly long time to work it out. It irritated him no end and when he finnaly ice bolted the door and it moved aside with a shudder he vowed that he'd never mention his stupidity of that moment to anyone ever. 


	5. Breath's Death

Chapter 5: Breath's Death  
  
The door closed behind him suddenly with a loud slam. He was trapped inside the corridoor. There was a door at the end of the decorated passageway but it was guarded by yet another monk. He looked much the same as the ones from the Chinese Shaolin temple but with a slight difference. He seemed lighter somehow, more agile as if he were walking on air. Nunchakas were in his hands he gazed forward at Subzero without blinking or even the slightest spasm of a muscle. Deadly eyes stared at Subzero as if only just awoken they gazed at him. It was almost possible to imagine that he had stood there since the temple itself had been constructed round his feet.  
  
"You cannot pass here" he said solemly looking him up and down. His bald fore head seemed shiny as if it had just been polished.  
  
"A lot of people say that to me" replied Subzero clenching his hands together "What would you do if I wanted in whether it cost lives?" he edged closer taking the cloak off he threw it to the floor.  
  
"I'd say you are very careless with your life ninja" he replied not moving an inch "You will have to kill me to pass into this temple. My life binds the door shut, yet some how I doubt you will suceed"  
  
"How many people have tried before me?" he asked gazing passed the monk at the door. That was his objective but he had to be careful. From this point on things could only get stranger.  
  
"You're the sixth, five of the others died, I have never been beaten"  
  
"Never? That's a pretty good record, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to break it"  
  
"I would turn back if I were you ninja, don't say I didn't warn you before I send you to your death"  
  
"Death visits those who die" he replied coldly "We all die sooner or later, and thus the fear of death is irelevant. You evidently don't realise that"  
  
With a rush of ice he extended both hands forward. A bolt of freezing water sped out towards the guardian but the monk jumpped high his legs gripping the walls so that the bolt passed halmlessly under him into the door. Subzero approached warily as the monk hopped down. He wouldn't be able to win a swift victory, he'd have to do this the long way round. The close proximity of the coridoor meant that he wouldn't be able to use the full extent of his abilities, something that the monk with those capable sticks in his hands could use to his own advantage.  
  
Nunchakas may look like feeble sticks but in the hands of a master they are deadly weapons. Subzero knew this and quite willingly backed off as the sticks flailed out missing his head by a hair. The chain could be used to choke a neck, the sticks could be held in one hand or two and there were hundreds of different ways of holding the weapon to get the perfect advantage over an opponent. This guardian obviously knew the lot or he wouldn't be serving the wind god in this vital position.  
  
Disarmament was a big priority right now as the sticks had their heart set on bashing Subzero's head in. He was forced slowly to back away down the corridoor the way he had come. But he knew that sooner or later he'd end up with his back against the wall, he had to stop that at all costs. With sudden force Subzero kicked out and hit the monk in the shins. The monk's foot flew back and he sank to his knees for a second, as he rose Subzero punched him in the face hard sending him onto his back. He still held the weapon for dear life as if it was what kept him alive. Maybe it did.  
  
He aimed an ice blast while his enemy was still on the floor but again he dodged out of the way this time just in time. You could see the nervousness in his eyes. The monk charged forward but slipped forward on the icy puddel to meet another fist in the face. He slipped backwards wobbling and crashed to the floor. The floor cracked with a stone splitting sound. Subzero looked down in surprise to see a large gap had run right under his feet and up the wall. The blow hadn't been that powerful had it?  
  
The monk came agressive again the sticks flaying out but was wary this time of the icy patch on the floor. He stepped expertly arround it and was careful to keep his legs guarded from his previous mistake. It would take something more daring to catch him out this time. A stick flayed out faster than Subzero expected it and caught his thigh. Boy that hurt and he had no wish to be hit again. He backed away yet again as the sticks advanced like combine harvister blades. He blocked a blow with the wrist pad suddenly and grabbed hold of the stick. There was tension a moment as the monk tried to relinquish his grip on the weapon.  
  
He pulled hard and strained, Subzero let go suddenly and it slammed into the monk's face sending him backwards slipping again on the ice. Subzero came forward while the monk tried to regain his balance and kicked him hard in the stomach. He never realised how one patch of ice could aid him so much.  
  
The wall cracked and part of the ceiling came down over by the door. A loud high pitched sharp wistling came in through the crack as plaster and rock cemented itself on the floor. Was it just his imagination or was that sky he could see inside the mountain?  
  
Again the monk stood wearily to his feet but this time stayed on the defensive. Subzero approached slowly both eyes watching each other like Tigers. The monk's left eye was black and Subzero knew he had him on the run. He tried again with the nunchakas swinging them back and forth but with less confidence than before. He blinked once and Subzero slid forward on icy feet and shoulder butted the monk into the door. The door cracked and the Nunchakas dropped to the floor. Now he had the monk trapped against the wall and Subzero would be dammed if he didn't take up the advantage. His punches came fast now and every one he brought to the monk's face caused plaster to fall and cracks to line the walls as if the walls themselves were the monk's will power.  
  
With a charged icy blow he stretched forward and smashed the monk fully in the chest, to his surprise the whole door and wall gave way breaking away into the wind. With a cry the monk fell down into the darkness. A great torrent of wind roared out from the sky. He backed off as part of the floor fell away and gazes up in surprise as the rocks parted to see not a temple, but a horizon.  
  
This was some kind of magic created by the wind god, he knew with no doubt. Below he could see the storm rumbling and flickering with electricity. He was up in the sky and in front of him tall pillars rose up out of the mist their bases going below the clouds into infinity.  
  
He peered over the edge at the gaping abyss. The clouds rolled and he watched the rubble and screaming monk dissapear beneath the cloud line "I don't believe it" he muttered with a breath of white air. The only question now was: Was this real? He put his foot precairiously over the edge and lowered it. It went beneath the floor, he took it up again quickly with a shudder.  
  
"Alright" he breathed hard stepping back "This is real... nothing I can't handle"  
  
He rubbed his hands carefully together and with a light hop he jumpped forward onto the first of the pillars. Everywhere he looked he could see objects floating in the air. Was this some other realm? Or was it meerly the magic of the temple afflicting everything arround him? Looking back he could see the coridoor. It hovered in mid air, no mountain and no outside behind it. The cloud line stretched out into the distance with mountains peeking up out of the mist. The corridoor just seemed to hover in place out of place time and logic.  
  
"Where the hell am I?" he gasped as a gust of wind hit him. With a jump he came to the next platform, black stones and tiles under his feet wobbled weathered by the harsh winds. Standing where he was he watched with curiosity as a large stone hovered up beside him. The wind dropped and it fell as quickly as it came. It seemed as if physics them selves had taken a run and gravity itself had started defying logic.  
  
"Wind" he muttered "This is deafinitely where I shall find Fujin" he jumpped again and landed with unsteady feet onto a tall pillar. It wobbled with grave danger and he jumpped quickly to another. Turning he watched the platform wobble on its stone pillar and fall away into the mist below. Lightning flickered in the sky, and yet there was no rain. Subzero didn't mind the lightning, it was the rain he hated and he was glad there wasn't any, yet the circumstances had other worrys for him to be careful of. A circular stair case hovered precairously in front of him being lifted up by the wind, he ran up it almost tripping on the crumbling steps. Pushing through a metal gate he jumpped off the top of the steps and landed on the platform above.  
  
Everywhere he looked platforms and rocks stretched out into the distance like some mad dream. Some were upside down or at funny angles, and gave him the impression that he himself was the wrong way up. When Quan chi had informed him of this mission he had never, ever imagined that it would have ended up like this. This was unreal, what could his mortal powers over ice possibly do in an enviroment like this. A simple gust of wind at the wrong moment could make him fall to his death.   
  
He looked up to the sky to see great storm clouds above. Platforms and staircases reached up high into the clouds. Lightning flickered and a gust of wind almost took him off of his feet. He held himself down to a large broken stone waiting until the wind subsided. Looking up again from a crouched position he could see a large platform that was much higher than the rest. That was bound to be where Fujin was if anywhere at all. If he could only get to that place then he might at least have a chance of attacking the god. Right now survival seemed the highest priority. This place was dangerous. He couldn't think of a way to get out of this alive.  
  
Right now if Subzero had had the oppertunity he would have turned back. But simply, there was no way back, the only direction he could possibly go in was up. As the wind subsided a little he ran forward and jumpped to a higher platform. A monk was there at the end of it, he stould with arms folded looking up at Subzero with a steady gaze. It was those same orange silk clothes bare chest and bald head. He must have been mad to be wearing that kind of thing in this weather.  
  
"Aren't you cold!" shouted Subzero over the roaring winds. The monk didn't hear him, he only outstretched both arms forward and walked towards him slowly. Subzero did the same well awhere of the fact that there was nothing to stop him falling to his death. And only a moment before he had wished for space. The monk ran suddenly planning to catch Subzero off guard. Swiftly Subzero remembered his aikido. He sidestepped catching the monk's fist he twisted it easily and frew the monk off of the edge with a push to the fore head with the palm of his hand. He fell away crashing and breaking through a lower platform at least a kilometere below.  
  
"Oh no Subzero never gets cold" he grumbled to himself "Subzero braved the snow of the Himalayan mountains, Subzero's been to the north pole and not gotten cold... bastards" he shivered and jumpped high into the air catching his arms on the edge of a stone platform above. He pulled himself up and looked for the next route.  
  
Above him the sky flickered with electricity. Did the Thunder God know what he was doing? Was he here? He couldn't fight both Rayden and Fujin at the same time, that just wouldn't work. He took a leap to his left and climbed another stone stair case, this one went almost streight upwards. When he reached the top his mouth gaped. Platforms on iron coiled hinges swung from side to side fiercly in the wind. There was no other way, he looked round for another stair case, anything. He'd have gone right back the way he had come if he could only find another route. It seemed that this was however the only route. He'd have to cross this before he could reach the next level above.  
  
He timed his jump well and landed on the swaying platform. He gripped the rope like a sea sick sailor hanging on for dear life. Again he jumpped and landed on the next. Swaying to the other side he jumpped again counting for his life the exact moment he'd need to land. This was unreal, how could he be expected to do something like this? He jumpped for the last time and landed with a thump on another hovering platform. Then again he had done it. The same old black bricks were below his feet, one crumbled away and he shivered as the cold winds gripped him.  
  
Above him he could see the huge platform much closer now, he was almost there. Yet there was a problem. He looked all around him yet he could see no close platform for him to take cover on his route. There was no way for him to get up to the platform now unless he turned into a bird. There were no other platforms on the same level or above him apart from the large final platform in the sky. This was irritating "What do I do now?" he whispered more to himself than anyone else.  
  
He sat down on the hovering stones and looked up at the platform above. Electricity flickered up there, and the wind seemed to be coming stronger than ever down from that lookout. On every horizon mountains stretched out into the distance like sharpened sandunes on a beach of the world. It was as if he was in a realm of mountains and high places where the ground was a thing looked down upon in more ways than one. Wind ruled this landscape there was no doubt about that. Fire, water, earth were all play things in its capable destructive power. Fire blew itself out, water was the sky's to command and earth was blown about like toys handled by an excitable child.  
  
A stone hovered up beside him again. He gazed at it, it continued to rise. He watched its path. It went right passed the large platform above before it suddenly fell down. He looked down with curiosity as leaves suddenly swept up in the current followed by more pebbles and rocks rushed upwards. The wind although destructive and so far set apart in this strange land, seemed to have some kind of order in it. This channel continued to blow from below with no visible source or creator. With curiosity Subzero outsretched his hand. The wind blew it hard and he felt the force go along his whole body. He moved the arm closer into it and before he realised what he had done, with a shout he went shooting up high into the air as the gust strengthened suddenly. He landed with a thud on the black stones above.  
  
He rubbed his head and stood to his feet dazed and tired. He gazed back at the platforms below with a shudder. It was a long way down even before he would reach the cloud line. He'd be dead before he reached the ground, that is if he ever reached the ground at all. These great winds could hold objects in the sky probably for ever. What was this place? How had it become like this? Maybe an anchient sky fortress destroyed by this constant storm? A cursed land maybe or simply a product of a great wizard's spell gone wrong? Lightning flickered and he turned to see the answer clearly before his eyes.  
  
The wind god hovered in the air, blue leggings with an orange flowing cape. His eyes were closed in concentration as he controlled the maelstorm arround him. Subzero approached quietly. He stopped a few meteres away and was careful as not to make a noise. He softly withdrew a small shuriken and held it in one hand squinting his eyes under the strong winds. Leaves passed across his sight a moment rustling and the wind god opened his white eyes startled by the noise. His presence was refreshing somehow as he looked down on Subzero. Subzero threw the metal star forward suddenly but Fujin simply held out one hand and it blew away into the distance. He was after all a god.  
  
"Who are you mortal and what is your buisness here?" came the booming voice. The wind stopped and there was silence. Leaves fell softly to the black stones at his feet. It was as if all air everywhere across the entire world had suddenly become still listening to their king speak.  
  
"My name is Subzero" he replied quivering with inner fear yet he was careful to not let it show "I have come for the amulet, yet I lost my way in the temple and somehow ended up in this realm"  
  
"You made no mistake" came the voice again, the sound rushed at Subzero like a tornado "You are still in the very same temple. This is my domain you have entered, I am one of the four guardians swarn to protect the amulet of Shinnoch until my death"  
  
"I see" said Subzero somewhat disheartened  
  
"You are brave mortal, you move like the wind. Yet if you oppose me I shall have no choice but to slay you. Killed by the hands that created your kind, you will be drawn away into the Neatherealm for all eternity. Curb your ways Subzero and go home"  
  
"Heh I wish I could do that..."  
  
"This ilusion is created out of the powers of us four gods. If you want to go home Subzero I shall relinquish my hold over this domain to allow you to pass"  
  
Subzero hardened suddenly "I'm no coward wind god. And I've never failed in a mission yet. I'll speak the plane truth, I've been sent here to destroy your mortal body and that's what I plan to do, gods or no gods"  
  
"You are a great warrior, yet against my powers you will lose, surely you can see that?"  
  
Subzero delved into the side pokets and hideaways in his blue silk. He withdrew both hands and each had three ninja stars held inbetween the fingers ready to be flung at his enemy.  
  
"Surely you can see Fujin that if I'm such a 'great warrior' then there's nothing you can say that will stop me"  
  
He flung both hands forwards in anger and launched the shurkiens towards Fujin in a spread out mass hoping to hit him as he dodged. Fujin did no such thing, he meerely outstretched one hand the same as before and the Shurikens blew back at Subzero. The uncanny silence was broken by the swishing noise of the metal passing through the wind. Subzero jumpped high into the air and his own shurikens passed wizzing under his feet. Turning round they flew back towards him again and he rolled against the ground as the wind blew him further towards Fujin. They came back again at high speed like heat seeking missiles, he dodged aside and caught one with two fingers. Again they came swept up by the wind he sidestepped and brought his leg down on two of them landing them spinning on the ground. The other three clattered as Fujin dropped his hand with an emotionless expression. Dominance was in his eyes.  
  
"Against the power of a god you're no match for me"  
  
The cape blew back suddenly and he slid back on agile feet outsretching hands with white fingernails like claws. Wind gripped Subzero and he was flung back across the whole platform to what he believed would be his death. He grabbed the edge with red finger tips and climbed with great effort back onto the platform. He crawled forward across the floor as the wind swept at him like a tidal wave never stopping. He held on tightly onto the shuriken and as the gale stopped for a moments rest he flung ir forward towards Fujin again with all his might. It seemed to be his only weapon against the wind god. He never expected it to work.  
  
It caught the element off guard his eyes widened as he tried leaping aside but the star hit him in the kneecap where it remained embedded for the rest of the fight. He howled in pain and wind and stones leaped up from the ground. Subzero charged forward glad that the god's attention was turned briefly from him to its own pain. He leapt high through the air brought on by the god's own wind currents and kicked the god squarely in the jaw.  
  
They both landed with a crunch onto the broken stones below. Subzero swept up in the moment pushed both fingers down into the god's soft eyeballs. This was the only chance. The wind god screamed out in hellish pain. Subzero tried to move in further towards the brain but a strong gust ripped at him suddenly from the outstretched hand and sent him hurtling up into the air. Spinning round rapidly he landed with the god's agonizing screams arround him onto the black stones below. He wheezed and got to his feet as the god shouted out curses, the blood streaming down his broken white eyes. He stumbled on the ground getting to his feet covering his face with his hands "I'll kill you mortal! I'll rip you apart piece by piece for taking my eyes!"  
  
Subzero shivered in fear but kept silent. It was all he could to prevent detection from the god's other sences. He was glad at least that in this clean fresh air that it was impossible to smell him. He'd heard of warriors having great sences of smell yet he'd never stopped to wonder before whether gods had good sences of smell or not. It wasn't something he generally thought about but somehow began to wish he had.  
  
The wind god seemed unable to fly now, something had weakened him as he stumbled across the stones like an old man. Either the shuriken embedded in his knee of the pain and lack of sight stopped or persuaded him against flying. Instead he outstretched his hand to where he thought Subzero was and a great gust of wind pushed forward. This was not like the previous gust, it was stronger and much deadlier than before. It dawned on the cold warrior that Fujin had still been toying with him until he had blinded the god. Now the god really did want to kill him and not just that, but make him suffer in pain and misery. This wind not only pushed the air back but was so strong that it ripped up the tiles and stones themselves from the ground and sent them hurtling away into the distance. The blow was like a sound wave, it would break every bone in his body if it hit him which he was pretty sure was the god's intention.  
  
The god turned in another random direction and hands outstretched smashed wind against the broken rocky platform. Tiles and rock went flying away into the air. Sooner or later the wind god was going to hit him, and Subzero realised this with dread. He needed to act fast. Reaching down carefully he picked up a large black brick that had come loose in the fight. As Fujin finished decimating another part of the platform Subzero hurled the brick as far down the other end as he could. It lounded with a quiet clank but Fujin heard it alright and with a roar blasted the area.  
  
Subzero rushed forward his hands burning blue. Icicles matirialised in both hands as sharp as giant needles. Fujin turned his head too late. Subzero came spinning round with the points, he felt the resistance as the ice dug into Fujin's body. A blow across the chest, torso, another penetrated his thigh, thrusting both forward he slammed them into the god's chest where they remained embedded one in the god's heart the other in the right lung. Blood bursted out onto the floor as Fujin roared and a great wind swept up from the ground. He fell to his knees screaming. He was dead, not even a god could survive that blow but now Subzero had to escape his own demise.  
  
He ran in the opposite direction and didn't turn back. Fujin was creating a vortex with his last dying breath. He brought the wind screaming into his bloody unbalenced body trying desperately to keep his mortal form alive. Subzero felt the pull and ran harder, he was being pulled towards Fujin where a great hurricane of air had sprung up reaching into the clouds themselves. If he was pulled into that vortex he would be completely at the mercy of the wind gods last will. It would ultimately destroy him.  
  
His screams rose up into the air as his soul escaped in the most horrific sound Subzero had ever heard. Subzero never saw what happened. He only heard the bang. 


	6. Sleeping stones

Chapter 6: The Sleeping Stones  
  
The sky fell away and a moment later Subzero was falling. Blood and gory relics of the wind god floated past him as he fell in a mirage of couler towards a misty death. The black stones were swirling round fast as tiles and pieces of rock exploded in crimson flame. He closed his eyes in the weightlessness watching the stones and rubble fly round his body. Leaves and evidence of the destruction swam round as the ilusion evaporated. He was falling fast, but gradually now he slowed like a feather losing the gale. The leaves moving round his battered body slowly departed. He held one tight in his hand and clenched at it willing it not to go away, the world dissapered.  
  
He was in darkness suddenly and eery silence. He looked up and all he could see above him was darkness. He was moving towards a pyramid across a great bridge. Below in the murky deapths green soul trapped eyes gazed up at him as he sped on like the wind through the murky coridoors brought on by some unseen force. In the darkness across a great chasm a black platform was formed and there the white headed man looked at him with a smile. It was Quan chi, he stood to his feet and beckoned his hand forward all a blur.  
  
Subzero came close as if on gentle wings and stared into his face "That's one Subzero, I've stopped the ilusion from closing on your head. The next is the element of earth, go now back to your own realm"  
  
Back he went speeding down the coridoors so fast that he would have died of dizziness. Back across the bridge faster than he had ever seen a plane move or a rocket, faster than a bullet the dark skies passed away into complete blackness. He felt hard earth against his back. With a slow groan he opened his eyes. He was back in the real world, or something that seemed much like it.  
  
First impression was a rocky roof. There was silence down here in these depths, yet almost a kinetic energy seemed stored up in the quiet walls. His back to the ground he could feel the sturdiness of the floor below him. It was merged together, every piece of dirt like glue, solid and strong yet alive in some strange way. Something rumbled far away and dust and stones fell down in a puff of smoke, he closed his eyes clenching his teeth and felt the grain on his eyelids. Sitting up he gazed round the new coridoor. A mining tunnel of some kind, large wooden beams held up the earthy roof and stopped it from colapsing arround his head. For this he was to some extent thankful. His hand was still clenched, opening it he found the green leaf and gazed at it with surprise for some time. It brought back with sudden force everything that had happened over the last few days. It was green and fresh from the wind. He took it to his nose and smelt it. A strong mint scent came from it that surprised him, he hadn't expected it to smell of anything. He put it away and gazed into the darkness of the tunnel.  
  
Candles lined the walls stretching out into the darkness "If I'm any judge then this is the element of earth" he whispered softly not wanting to disturb the powers within. He touched the dusty wall still not truly believing in its existance. The grain was on his fingertips and gave them an orangeish browny glow when he looked at them. At least he wasn't surrounded by sky drops everywhere he looked, he could almost warm to this temple compared to his last experiance.  
  
Compared to others this had to be the weirdest job he'd ever undertaken in his life. He'd risen through the Lin kuei ranks very quickly to become the top, but this job was much different from the rest. Never before had he been involved in an assignment that was so geared towards the arcane.  
  
The light from the torches was dim, he set out knowing this and worrying about it right from the beginning. What if the torches went out and he was left in complete darkness? He could create some light with the blue coldness of his hands, but he couldn't keep it up constantly for the whole time he was down here. He remembered with some satisfaction the icicle trick that had finished off the wind god. It was difficult to create solid objects like that, but might he one day use it to his own advantage? Could he perhaps create real weapons out of thin air to use as he wanted? Now however was not the time to experiment. He had a job to do... even if he didn't know how to do it.  
  
The walls shook suddenly and he ducked in the darkness putting his hands over his head. Dust and small pebbles fell down halmless bouncing off of his back and hand. This place seemed like it could cave in at any time. It was as if the earth itself were alive and was moving with its own purpose, creating new tunnels and destroying others to confuse its assailants.  
  
Walking furher on, the corridoor turned round left and as Subzero did so he could hear a noise that he didn't at all like the sound of. Metal blades swishing through air. He could see them up ahead swinging back and forth like a pendulum in the distance. These traps weren't disguised at all, they were plain and simply out to get him. Hazard would be the better word. In the darkness of the corridoor the torch flame was king. It effected everything arround it shimmering off of the metal blades. They drove away the darkness and brought out a little yellow in Subzero's costume as the two lights merged from shadow to brightness. Down hear the torches ruled the darkness, they were the last light against the shadows of the earth, yet somehow they continued to burn with magic or some other means.  
  
He stopped just outside the metal blades. They reached up into the roof and continued to swing no matter what, losing speed nor direction. What mechanics powered this trap and how did it work? There wasn't just one blade either. Seven or eight of them stretched out swinging back and forth at different times. One wrong move and he'd be dead, either that or left with a great bloody gash in his side. He threw an ice bolt at the blade hoping to freeze it. He suceeded but the blade itself didn't stop moving. He aimed another at the roof but with a twist the ice simple broke off the metal untarnished. He'd have to do this the proper way.  
  
As the blade moved aside he stepped forward across its path. He stood inside the safety zone inbetween the blades and was afraid to move his head and for good reasons. He stayed stationary for a long time watching the blade move past his head and also knowing that the other one was just behind. Sweat moved down his fore head and he stepped forward quickly again as if he were doing an old fashioned dance or march. Again he stepped forward the noise pounding down on his ears with no flesh wound to follow. Using this technique he passed inbetween each blade to find a huge metal crusher slamming from the roof and floor inwards. It looked like something he'd have found in a metal factory. It was easyier to pass than the blades, he simply leaped through it when the mechanism was open.  
  
Passing through the tunnels was so much different to the wind god's sky sanctuary. Here it was not falling on the earth that worried him, but the earth falling on him. There was enough air in the tunnels to keep Subzero breathing, but never quite enough. Presumably there was some kind of ventilation coming from whatever lay above this place. But there was never quite enough and substantially he always felt slightly faint and ill. His hands were stinging as usual but that was something he had expected from being up there in the roaring winds. It was warmer in the heart of the earth but also he felt cramped. He had neither Virtigo nor Claustraphobia but knew for certain what it would be like for someone who did to attempt what he was doing. There was enojgh room in the coridoors certainly more than the one in the entrance of the temple, but the darkness and the lack of air made the walls feel so much closer. Down here one's mind was more of a danger than any of the blades machines or traps were. He had to keep focused and not lose his concentration. That was the key to sucess.  
  
He came to a halt suddenly. The ground had given up and walked away. A large pit decended below him, a rope was attached to the roof that he noticed was made of stone rather than rocky earth. He had almost missed it and continued walking, the rope itself catching the fire light had saved his life. Reaching out he grabbed the rope and looked it over. It seemed okay, he gave it a tug and nothing happened. It seemed pretty secure. Carefully he lowered himself down, swinging his feet left the ground and slowly he began to climb down the pit falling tunnel below. The rope jerked suddenly and Subzero clenched his teeth and eyes as earth and grain came down from above. The roof had started to decend. It gave a loud creaking of metal and as he looking up he saw the metal come closer towards him. It was a trap.  
  
"Not good" he whimpered holding onto the rope. Locking his knees round it he slid down as fast as he could without achieving really bad rope burns. Looking up he could see the circular roof coming down towards him at a slow steady but efficient pace. It would get him eventually and that was all that mattered. He looked down quickly as he slid to make sure there were no metal stakes at the bottom. There weren't, but it was always a good idea to check. His feet hit the ground and quickly he examined the area arround him. Rocy walls on all sides apart from one metal door. He pushed it, it was locked. He tugged it but it wouldn't move. He shoulder butted it but still nothing happened and the roof was coming closer and closer every second that passed.  
  
Charging up a real whacker of an ice bolt he slammed it in the centre of the door with a crackle of water vapour. He kicked the spot hard and it dented and crumbled bit by bit. Placing his hands on the dent he froze the spot even more hoping to crack it. He kicked it not daring to look up. It crumbled and his foot deepened into the metal door frame. He hopped back and rushing forward he kicked right through the frozen ice and outside. With both hands he tried his best to widen the hole, freezing the metal or stone or whatever it was. He couldn't tell in the darkness and his panic. Through the gap he could see a passageway the other side. If he could only just get through this damn hole in time he would have done it.  
  
Fu shu was an art used less in combat than in exercises. Subzero wasn't an expert but he had to pretend he was right now if he was going to get through this gap. He put both hands through it and pulled himself slowly through breathing in his chest as much as he could. He became stuck on the hips a moment but with an agnoizing wrench flopped into the corridoor wrenching his feet through the round hole that was only a couple of centemeters larger in diamiter than a bowling ball. With a telling crash he knew the ceiling had hit the floor, and also realised how close he'd just come to having an early funeral. His talant came in useful for something at least. It is human nature not to appreciate the talants we have. Subzero was not completely aware of how much his abilities over ice helped him.  
  
He got up slowly to his feet to realise that there was a monk in front of him. Another guardian of the temple, in his hand was a long stick. Subzero preferered these, generally he never had been good with nunchakas, but people like this person he could disarm and use the weapon himself. That is if he could disarm him. The guardian didn't move at all. They seemed to have a habit of doing that. They all seemed ludicrously proud of themselves standing there expecting themselves to be the ones who defeat the intruder.  
  
"Just let me get to my feet and I'll be right with you" panted Subzero standing on one knee. With a whirl the monk brought the stick behind him to a lower behind stance. It was a pretty stupid stance to take in Subzero's opinian. The only time people did that kind of position was to look good for films. He thought grudgingly of that idiot Jonny Cage and wished to all high heavan that he never had to meet him. Dusting both knees off he readied himself with both hands forward. Jujitsu would be the thing for this fight, a quick move hopfully resulting in death for his opponent.  
  
The stick swished forward in a pummeling action and Subzero stepped quickly back. The used the same move again Subzero stepped briefly to the side, he grabbed the stick in mid flow bashing his hand down on the other end he brought it up like a see-saw in the monk's face. It span round and he caught it himself spinning and forgetting all martial arts he wacked the monk squarely in the chest much like a base ball bat. The noise was a satisfying crack of wood against bone. The monk fell to the ground and Subzero continued to wack at the fallen body the monk raising his arms desperately trying to block the blows. With a loud crack he brought it across the monk's head and he stopped moving. Something had broken somewhere resulting in death or unconciousness, Subzero wasn't too worried right now in finding out whether he was dead or not. Grudgingly he rememberd Sang and rolled his eyes.  
  
He left the dead guardian where he lay and continued on his journy through the bowels of the earth. Every corner he came across brought new traps and blades. Those swinging double scythes weren't the only ones in the tunnels, there were others he had to pass, gaps in the ground that opened and closed like a beating heart. The crushers were everywhere as he walked, as he tired he used the stick as a walking one. He headed out with no clear idea which way he should head or where he should go but he had one aim, to find the elemental of earth and slay him. That was his job, not his ambition nor his life. He didn't care whether this element was good evil went to the pub on Saturdays or watched a popular television program. It was his motive to destroy him.  
  
Subzero had never understood why people had taken grudges against him in the past. In his eyes it made no sence at all. He was just doing the job, why blame him? Its the motive that in his eyes is the real evil. He was just the servant of evil, if they were fed up with what he was doing why not pay the Grandmaster a visit?  
  
The corridoors were long and the traps deadly. He was almost at his wits end when walking down a particuarly dark corridoor he found the way. He hadn't noticed the monk hiding in the shadows and the blow caught him completely off guard. He hit the wall and turned quickly to attack the monk who had struck him. Subzero blocked a moment before wacking the monk away with the stick. He was up again in a second and rushed Subzero. He hadn't meant to be hit and saw it miles before it happened but the blow struck him anyway. He'd been slightly too slow somehow, it didn't hurt it moved him more than it caused pain. But instead of landing on a nice patch of soft soil he instead landed on a cracked part of floor that imiediately crumbled. It gave way suddenly oppening and he fell down uncontrollably sliding down a small tunnel. Webs kept hitting him in the face and several spiders passed him by crawling over his face as he shouted out. Finnaly he shot out with a long moan into another corridoor and landed a disorganised heap on the ground. He got quickly to his feet and removed as best as he could the pieces of web and other infestations of the mucky path he had taken with curses that could move the Kahn.  
  
A large black widow was on the floor, he saw it unmistakingly in the darkness and backed off wrenching the web from him. It was the biggest spider he'd ever seen, the body itself was as big as his head. He wasted no time and froze it where it stood before checking for broken bones round his own body. Looking up at the hole where he had come out of through a crack in the wall he was glad that the monk hadn't decided to follow him. Web and organic matirial were across the walls and ceiling and a fight here wouldn't be a particuarly pleasant one. Presumably he was thought to be dead, but also that monk had been better than the last one and would have been more difficult to kill in battle.  
  
Looking up he saw a large door. Much the same in fact as the one he had broken a hole through. He walked up to it warily and wiped some of the dust off with his hand. There was a squelch, looking down he realised he'd stepped on a spider, lifting his foot the yellow puss stretched like glue ripping as he removed his foot with disgust. The door opened slowly with a loud metalic creak. It was pitch black inside. So dark in fact that if he put his hand in he couldn't see it at even a metere in front. The darkness was unreal, and mysterious. The candles light did not enter into that darkness, it seemed like a sudden wall of blackness in front of him. Looking the door up and down for a moment from what he could see in the dark Subzero proceeded to do something very stupid. He walked in.  
  
The door closed with a slam and he was left in the dark to dwell on his mistake.  
  
Silence was in the room. Not a flicker of movement stirred and Subzero began to feel very anxious. Would the ceiling fall in? Would spikes come out of the walls or would a trap door open beneath his feet? He realised with hidden terror that his quiet breathing was the loudest noise in the room. But all that changed very fast.  
  
Suddenly the room bursed into firey light and a loud rocky roar rang out that sounded as if it had come from the very centre of the world. It sounded achient, impassable to time. Looking across the walls small outlets with bars like prisons held back flames from inside. Subzero walked forward squinting his eyes as the flame light dulled down to a deep fiery red. The room was circular with rocky walls, yet it seemed designed the way it was to imitate the earth's relationship with fire. The walls shook suddenly and Subzero leaped back as the ground cracked and split open.  
  
A large hand as big as his waist stretched out of the broken earth and came smashing down on the floor. It was made completey from rock, a head emerged with fiery eyes and slowly the huge rocky beast emerged standing over twice Subzero's height. A golem, he'd heard about these creatures in myth and legend but had never truly expected to encounter one.  
  
"Why do you disturb my rocky slumber mortal?" came the rock splitting voice of the huge monster before him. It clenched fingers together in anger. This being evidently wasn't going to receive Subzero with the same courtesy of the god of wind.  
  
"I've come for an amulet belonging to a man who has hired me"  
  
The voice lauthed loud and long, the sound booming deep across the walls and reaching under Subzero's feet and shaking the very bones inside his body. The lauthter was mocking and extremely threatening, the fingers cracked like lumps of coal being crushed.  
  
"That amulet is no property of yours or your freinds" rang out the slow voice of the golem. Each word was brought out slowly deeply and with great echoing precision "Don't patronize me mortal... you have come here to destroy us four brethren. I have foreseen it in my slumber. Even now the element of wind has been vanquished, and you seek yourself to aid the very powers that will destroy you"  
  
"What do you mean?" said Subzero quivering he could not let this comment go unanswered.  
  
"I warn you mortal, I shall show no mercy to your pathetic body. My wretched brother spent too much time breathing the wind, it made him soft. I shall show you the true force of the earth, now come and face your fear like a man you quivering wretch, I long to hear the sound of your breaking bones returning to the earth whence they came"  
  
"Your so pleasant" said Subzero sarcastically "What are you going to do fall on me?"  
  
"You have little comprehension for the power locked up in these hands" his foot crashed down on the floor and rocks came hurtling down from the ceiling above. Subzero ducked aside as a large one slammed into the ground where he had been standing.  
  
"And now it starts" he roared "With slow steps I shall come towards you and flatten your wretched body"  
  
Subzero charged suddenly forward leaping through the air he aimed a kick at the golem's head. The arms were brought up much quicker than he had expected and slammed him to the side. He felt the rock bite into his flesh as if he'd just been hit with a slab of concrete. He whimpered in pain rolling aside leaving a splatter of blood on the rocky floor. He limped back retreating he heard each step loudly crashing against the ground as the golem came slowly towards him.  
  
"Bones and kingdoms break under the heavy steps of the earth" rattled the deep voice omnimously it crashed forward step by step towards the blue assassin. Looking over the huge golem he realised with some terror that there was no weak point in the design. His foot would just bounce off, a blow from his fist would do more damage to him then it would to the rocky beast. Running round behind the golem suddenly he kicked hard at its feet hoping to knock the creature to the floor. The golem's body did not move an inch. Instead he sprang back as the Golem swang round a blow that could have killed him. He hopped back on one foot clutching his toes in pain.  
  
"Water wets and dries, Fire burns and dies, Wind blows and blows out but Earth lives on until time sags and sighs"  
  
It roared again and slammed its foot on the ground the shock waves wreched Subzero to the floor in pain. He rolled aside as huge rocks came crashing to the ground aiming it seemed for him rather than falling any old how. He stood to his feet to see the Golem roar with anger stepping forward over rocks again the earth shook with each step. He tried an ice bolt at the feet. It suceeded more than he expected it to. The Golem froze a moment pulling at the ice with a roar it broke and continued stamping its way across the floor. It was a slow but deadly strong creature unstoppable so it seemed. He was close to the wall now, looking behind him he noticed the licking flames kept inside the bars. It seemed ludicrous to think here was he so cold next to something so hot. Then an idea hit him.  
  
He waited patiently next to the flames as the golem stampped forward. He stood standing still praying that what he was about to do would work. The Golem stopped right beside him and lifted its fist, it gazed steadily into his eyes.  
  
"So you've given up have you?" it lauthed "This was easier than I foresaw"  
  
"I cannot win" replied Subzero gravely "Finish me off quickly"  
  
A smile cracked across its great lips and it brought up the other hand into the air so that both were pointed towards the ceiling. Its body crackled and crumbled with the weight reaching down into the floor. The blow came down fast and strong and Subzero ducked and rolled under its legs with a surprised rumble its hands smashed through the bars and the flames licked its hands. Charging up a real cracker of an ice blow he brought a Karate chop down on its lowered stone back and pushed it further into the flames. It roared as the flames licked its body. He pushed at the Golem and got it in the flames as far as he could before stepping back he charged his hands up with as much ice energy as he could possibly muster.  
  
The body began to glow red and the golem beat its hands against the walls furiously but all this did was to allow more of the flames to escape and consume its rocky body. Everything burns eventually, but that wasn't what he was hoping to do. He knew what happened when something cold met something really hot. He let lose a polar blast freezing the Golem's feet and lower body that were sticking out of the furnace. The noise of the Golem's pain ran up the walls causing cracks and rocks to fall that Subzero had to dodge as best as he could. A small one hit him on the shoulder and he cringed in pain.  
  
"Know this mortal" roared the Golem as the noise subisded, light eminated from its rocky body "What you have set upon this day holds more danger then my fists or my brother's wind. I ask you in hope for all of the gods and their creations to turn back now. No price mortal is worth what you have undertaken... heed my words and dwell on them before you bring the last sands of time upon us all. I was unable to stop you, and I foresee that neither will my remaining brothers, it is up to you to stop yourself before it is too late"  
  
The light began to glow from him and running away in the opposite direction he knew for certain that this thing was going to go out with a bang and ideed it did. He dived for cover as the explosion rang out fire leaping up the walls towards him the ceiling began to cave in with a rumble. 


	7. Into Deeper Water

Chapter 7: Into Deeper water  
  
The rocks crashed down into the chambour and Subzero backed down against the wall as the fire came out whirling like a cloud of gas towards him. But he wasn't paying attention already his mind was somehwere else. His vision was bluring as he looked on the fire seemed to darken and dissapere until everything was complete darkness.  
  
Suddenly he was spinning through rooms filled with hooks and torture devices. Screams leaped out down the corridoor as he saw a man briefly being pulled in two by two metal pistons. Spikes and blood lined the walls as he exited into the dark orange sky. Rushing he saw the river again the hands stretching out as he passed over the bridge into the pyramid summoned on by the sorceror's will.  
  
The gateway opened and he moved up in the marble hallways passing brief glimpses of red eyes in the darkness, evil untold. Swirling round faster now he came again to the great pathway over the drop, there the bald man sat on the same chair, he looked up as he entered and smiled grimly.  
  
"Welcome back again Subzero, you were quicker than I expected. Do you like my humble abode? Speak not, you must not remain here long, I shall return you to your realm. Next is the element of water, you shall be well rewarded when the amulet belongs to me, now go!"  
  
Back he went again spinning down the passageways upside down under and round pillars, passed marble corridoors and great doors with arches reaching up into unthaomable heights, across the bridge and into darkness he slumbered to the sound of the gentle lapping of water against his feet.  
  
When he finnaly awoke it was to a sound that had been reaching his ears for some time. The sound of water moving back and forth and the soft dripping of it from roof to floor. When his eyes opened they were met with a wash of blues and greens against a deeply ornate patterened roof. He groaned again rubbing his head. His torso hurt badly from the blow the Golem had given him, one he'd likely not forget. He wanted to rest now, but he had to move on. Reaching into the folds of his silk he took out a small green leaf. It smelled of mint and he remembered all that had happened. The god of wind, the Golem and Quan chi, Scorpion the map of elements the journy into the mountains, the black dragon, Smoke. He rubbed his head in pain and wished he hadn't remembered it all so fast.  
  
Something the Golem had said struck him suddenly. What had it meant by bringing on his own destruction? Quan chi wanted an amulet surely that was all, what halm could an amulet cause? Then again he was a sorceror, and certainly a powerful one. Subzero still could not understand why he had not done his own dirty work, he'd quite likely be a lot better at it than he himself was. But then again that was sorceror's talk, "he had his reasons evidently or he wouldn't have hired me" thought Subzero. He repeated to himself mindlessly standing to his feet "What halm can an amulet do?"  
  
A drop of water fell down and woke him up splashing over his nose it landed on the floor. Where was he now? Water, this place seemed pretty wet. This must be where he had to fight the element of water. He groaned again not having a clue which way he should probably be heading or what to expect. He made a mental note to next time ask for a decent job description before he undertook anything. He took a step forward and stopped almost fainting from the pain in his head. He felt tired and exhausted, kneeling down he delved again into the silk and took out some of the herbal remedies that he had received from his house servant Serriana. She was a good old lady and always did her job without question, much like himself although he was beginning to question things now. Perhaps Quan chi knew that? He didn't know, there were a lot of things he didn't know about this mission and wish he did since it would make things a damn lot easier.  
  
The blue stoned passageway ended abruptly with a fall in the ground. The passageway continued into the opposite wall but there was a drop in the way, a rope hung down mid way that he could climb up on or slide down. He wasn't sure which he should take. Below a great river of water was rushing, the current was too strong and likely lead into propelled fans or some other nasty demise. He wasn't about to chance a dip, the element of water being his target he wanted to avoid as much of the substance as possible.  
  
Of all the four areas of the temple Subzero found that this one was the nicest of the lot. There was something refreshing about this place? The water, it brought life and the coulers were pleasing to the eye even if the air was always damp and a little too cold for his liking. One thing that did irritate him was that the damp air seemed to soak his clothes. As he climbed up the rope he knew that it wasn't his own sweat, but instead it was the damp in the air that sank through his costume and into his skin.  
  
The coulers of this place were refreshing to his eyes and the air was breathable. The quiet perhaps would have been disquieting to most, perhaps even terrifying. At some moments the noise of rushing water completely dissapered and all he could hear was the ocasional drip through the silence.  
  
The floors and walls seemed to be made of some kind of blue marble. He didn't know what it was, but it was very tougth. Surprisingly it seemed even stronger than the rocky walls in the Earth temple, but that had just been tunnelled through the earth, this place seemed to have been constructed.  
  
If this had been a real place in real life he knew for certain that it would have been the eigth wonder of the world. The stone was cut perfectly... too perfectly in fact as if only the most expert of masons had spent several years shaping each brick perfectly before fitting it into its slot. He wondered how much the place would have cost to build? An ocean of diamonds? A mountain of gold? Presumably if the enchantress is powerful enough he can create any kind of wacky dimension. What would he create he wondered as he walked down another coridoor. Something cold perhaps? An icy palace? No stab that he hated the cold. He'd have a mansion, with jacusis and marble walls a bit like this place, and a flower garden, and huge golden domes like the Tajmahal. But then again wouldn't it be easy to naviage for assassins like himself? "No" he chuckled to himself because he wouldn't be guarding any bloody amulets for all eternity he'd be having the party of his life.  
  
Another thought came to mind. If these elements had so much power to create things out of magic, couldn't they just uncreate something? Could they not presumably destroy the amulet? And following on from that couldn't they unmake him in the fight? If they could he couldn't imagine how it had slipped their minds to do so. Presumably it was somehow not within their power.  
  
The corridoors were not long in this temple. Each one it seemed stopped after about ten or more meteres to be interupted by a drop that didn't always have water at the bottom. Still it was a long way down, and death he knew for sure if he fell when he didn't intend to. There were less traps in this dungeon than he expected. The inhabitants were much more ferocious than the dangers or the booby traps. Some corridoors had been flooded with water that came up to Subzero's feet. To his disfavour some of these pools had become infested with electric eels that had managed to sting him on several ocasions.  
  
He'd always thought of eels being less agressive creatures, perhaps they were? He wasn't a marine bioligist, but it evidently seemed that the ones in this temple were out to get him if not the monk he had landed in with them.  
  
A monk had caught him bending round a corner and attacked from the shadows. Using Aikido Subzero had thrown him off the edge where he fell almost a kilomitere downwards into a deep pool of electric eels. The noise and screaming had sounded like an electric chair execution gone very badly wrong. It had a certain humor in it that only people like Subzero could chuckle at.  
  
The monks in this place seemed if armed at all with tridents. Not surprising really since tridents in mythology had been asociated as a weapon of the sea creatures. The monks in the blue coridoors were just as human however as any land creature and just as disposable and vulnerable to Subzero's martial arts as any other was. It didn't matter in his opinian what weapon they used as long as it wasn't a projectile. How sorry he was to become...  
  
One moment however had caught Subzero by surprise and very nearly killed him. The opening of the flood gate would have been a lot easier if Subzero had known in the first place that it was a flood gate. It was the first door he'd come to in the whole temple and was anxious to get through it presumably to the element inside. He'd placed his hands on the door just as with all the other doors in the other temples and not unusually it had started to open. However when the water had rushed out soon engulfing Subzero's feet and then shins he had made a run for it.  
  
Turning round he pegged it. The door started closing at the end of the passageway. He roared more in fear than anything else sprinting faster he crouched in an icy slide, his head hit the door with a light knock and he fell out into the shaft grabbing wildly at the rope he saved himself from falling to his death. Water spilled out of the remaining space as the gate closed that would have trapped him inside.  
  
He dangled a moment swaying on the rope he closed his eyes in relief cursing under his breath all of the gods he knew one by one. Climbing the ropes up and down continually he discovered more and more to his disliking that this place was a maze. The temple was confusing and seemed to have no end to the side passages main passages lower passages and many more to add. Coming into a large room a huge mozaic was on the wall. It showed two sea dragons fighting with each other over what looked like was an egg. He'd heard rumors in the past of something called a dragon egg. But he'd always shrugged it off with all those other legends the Lin kuei had stored in books. They were just stories after all. Looking up now he wondered whether some of them could in fact be true?  
  
There was a thump behind him on the stone. Dodging a trident sprang out where he had just been standing. The monk aimed a horizontal blow which Subzero back flipped out of the way of. He must have been watching from the platform above. The monk stretched out and swiped again Subzero backed off frightened at the eagerness in this monk. The attacker tried a last ditch effort and through the weapon hurtling towards Subzero like a Javelin.  
  
He caught it in mid air turning it round he threw it back at the monk. To his surprise the monk caught it like himself in mid air and threw it again back at him. This time he was shocked and dodged too surprised to try and repeat the throw. Instead he aimed an ice bolt which hit the ground. The monk flew through the air and gave Subzero a kick in the chest. He fell to the floor and defended himself from the monk who aimed kicks at him while he was down.  
  
Grabbing the monk's leg he froze it and the monk screamed in pain falling to the floor and kicking with the other. He knew for sure the monk would never walk again, the foot could survive for perhaps a minute before it would become dead without blood. It needed imediate medical surgery. This was no golem he was up against this was a human being. A shame at that he thought inwardly that this fighter who was a mark above the rest should fall to such an easy trick.  
  
The monk backed off crawling across the ground with the remaining leg and two arms. Seizing a shuriken Subzero finished him off with a blow to the head. The monk slumpped and moved no more. The star had hit him just off of centre grazing the top of the nose. It had hit home and killed him out right. Walking over Subzero putting a foot on the belly pulled hard and managed to get the metal piece out.  
  
He remembered grudgingly in his early years how sometimes he had thrown the shurken so hard that it had become loged inside the body. His tutors had always advised him to put as much force into it as possible, but now a professional he realised that losing the shurikens wasn't always an option, come to that because of the wind god he didn't have many left. Of cource the messy alternative of fishing through the remains was a disagreable action when all else failed. He wiped the yellow fluid and blood off in a near by large puddel that had been caused by a continual drip from above. The water had started to dent into the ground so that it made a peculiar dip in the usually flat surface of the tiled floor. How many years of work had been ruined by that drip of water?  
  
He left the monk where he lay with that same horrific gormless expression that seemed to stay on all people he murdered. The eyes bugged and the wound seemed to stick out unnaturally wherever it had been inflicted, open mouthed the foot frosty blue looked unnaturally bent at an odd angle even though he hadn't broken it. He'd seist to care over the years what his victems looked like when he was finished with them. They were dead, that was all that really mattered. They could no longer feel pain wouldn't be coming back for revenge and thus didn't matter any more. Subzero like most hadn't always been this way. It had become part of his education, a "self education" as the Lin kuei liked to call it. Each person learned different things from what they were taught, the secret techniques and martial arts lead on to other discoveries about ones self. Subzero felt that emotion was a hinderance to his work, and although born from the eastern parts of the world he had a strong Capitalist notion with money. He could almost have been a soliciter if he had been born the other side of the world.  
  
Sektor relied on compleat obeyance of the Grandmaster to guide him through his life. Rank was everything to him, and although his firm cold logic was much similar to Subzero their morals were in fact miles apart. Cyrax was a wild card who believed that he couldn't do his job properly unless he enjoyed it. He'd go out of his way to make missions more interesting. Smoke seemed to have a strong belief in fate, that things worked the way they did because they were meant to. He didn't work with signs or gods, but seemed to have a belief that one thing lead to another , some moments had to be taken advantage of while others should be left on their own. There was a mutual respect between all of the arch assassins that moved through a general loyalty to the Grandmaster genuine or not. Inside assinations were common and although investigations were always carried out, they were often handed out to the assassins who were suspected to have caused the murder in the first place. It was encouraged, if there was a problem between two arch assassins in the Lin kuei then one of them had to go, eventually. Through this method the Grandmasters for generations had managed to keep control of some of the most deadliest warriors in the world.  
  
After a good exploration of the high parts of of the blue laberyinth Subzero began to get to know his way arround. Some of the ropes he had climbed down had been cut short. This made things difficult as he couldn't get as quickly as he liked to some parts of the temple. Learning the higher areas he realised with grim sight that the passages wouldn't extend any further upwards or across. It seemed that the element of water had to be hidden on the lower floors of the level. This meant passing electric eels rivers of rushing water whirl pools and other torments that existed in what he mentally called the "sewers".  
  
He'd seen a tenticle rise out of some of the murky water several times and was in no mind to venture that way although it looked like he might have to. He decended down towards the lower levels climbing down the ropes that hadn't been cut off in mid fall. He passed the electric eels again splashing through the water and eventually came through much climbing and jumping to another pool. This one seemed inacessable. Pipes came out of the walls and would stop him from jumping across the water on his own. There was nothing on the ceiling he could use to grapple but there was a large wooden platform that seemed to float on the water. It was circular a cylinder in shape, and looked much like a giant wine bottle cork. Standing on it he wobbled from side to side and found his balance with great difficulty.  
  
The water below him was swarming with electric eels. They swam about across the surface some of them who were especially eager tried to electrocute the cork itself. With his foot he pushed off from the platform and started to float towards the pipe. He crouched but even so still wobbled imensely. It was hard to stay balenced on that thing that could easily turn over. He gripped the metal pipe thankfully and gave it a tug. It wouldn't give way.  
  
Carefully he froze two points on the pipe with his hands and started to crack them. He gave them a gentle but firm chop several times on both sides and the pipe came away with a gush of water into the eel pool below. From there he used the pipe as a paddel. He had to admit it didn't make a very good one but it was better than nothing. Upon the second strike through the water he lifted the pipe to see an electric eel clasped tightly to the end. It zapped it and he felt the shock going down his arm he dropped it in pain banging his head on an upcoming pipe he almost fell in.  
  
He shouted rubbing his head with a roar "I'll murder you, you little..."  
  
The pipe sank down into the water with and clanked against the marble. It wasn't deep and the eel let go but the others swarmed round the object looking at it. He had to wait almost half an hour before the eels had lost interest and he could fish the thing out of the water again. Again he paddeled his way across this time being very carefull not to swish the pipe past eels. He ducked under the last pipe and hopped thankfully to the stone platform at the other end of the hall.  
  
"Eels" he grumbled "I hate fucking eels. Perhaps I'll use one to strangle that Sorceror's neck? Then he'll realise what a..."  
  
But he paused at that moment for something more interesting than the murder of his employer caught his attention. Up ahead of him was a very large green door. He looked it up and down and it didn't look anything like a flood gate. The brick round it looked the same as any other part of the temple but the door itself seemed mysterious. It seemed damp and green as if covered by weed or a strange light. Walking up to it he pressed his hands against the surface and waited until it opened.  
  
He was in a large room with a grilled bridge from one side of the other. Large pipes came out of the walls with gushing water flowing out of them. He looked arround him with suspicien. This place was peaceful, much more than the other places in the passages and high areas of the temple. This seemed he quite confidently to be the source of the power.  
  
The dripping here was conbined with a quiet rush of gentle water below that seemed to be pleasing to the ear. It seemed a strange battle ground for an element to use, but this it seemed was where the being wanted to face him. A puddel of water on the grilled bridge caught his eye. Mainly because any water should have fallen through the metal squares inbetween the wires. The god had given himself away. He was about to freeze the puddel when knowing that the game was up it rose to its feet itself forming a blue watery body that wobbled and flickered in the dull light.  
  
"Subzero isn't it?" chuckled the element "Did you enjoy killing my brothers to get here Lin kuei?"  
  
"You gods never did understand me" said Subzero with concealed anger "I'm not doing this for enjoyment or for pain and misery. I am simply doing my job"  
  
"That's what an evil dictator's general would say at his court case. Is there anything Subzero that you really enjoy?"  
  
"Heh, now that you mention it I guess I could count money"  
  
"And does it make you happy?"  
  
"What does my emotion have anything to do with this water god?"  
  
"More than you think it seems. Has it ever occured to you that it might be your anger that drives you? Your anger than channels you into this efficient assassin that you so like to see your self as?"  
  
Subzero paused and looked the element over with a tightened face "How do you know so much about me?"  
  
"I'm made of water. Water slips through cracks, comes down from the sky. Water is the ocean and is everywhere. I listen to the ripples and out of all the happy faces and people who are content I here one voice. A voice filled with anguish and hate, bringing about it misery... despair"  
  
"I don't feel despair as you put it. I have no use for that apart from inflicting it upon others. Do you feel despair water god?"  
  
"Maybe I do" it replied and the voice seemed to echo round the room like a drop of water in an underground lake "Don't you want happiness Subzero? Haven't you senced yet what this amulet you seek will bring? You had mercy enough for Scorpion, although it did not save him from the skull faced death... have you not mercy for the world?"  
  
"What happens to a god when you die?" asked Subzero slowly out of the blue. The question had been begging at his mind ever since he had entered the temple itself and climbed the mountain.  
  
"We never die" replied the spirit the voice echoing through the water "When our mortal form perishes in this world we return to the council of the elder gods. Thern when our soul is replenished we can return to the realm we were vanquished in"  
  
"Quan chi told me that there are ways of killing a god. That those ways have been lost to this realm for generations"  
  
"The destruction of a soul is unthomable in evil compared to the murder of a life" he paused with great weight in his words "The destruction of a god whether good or evil is unforgiveable for all eternity, it is the greatest sin"  
  
"Then my taking of your life will not destroy you?"  
  
"If you can take my life" replied the god with a quiet serene smile "I have not foresight such as my other brother of earth"  
  
"Good because I like you. You're the only person in this wretched temple who's treated me like an equal. I have to say I'm disgusted the way you gods look down on people"  
  
"Perhaps you're right. We have lived since the dawn of time and get used to the idea that no mortal can defeat us. It is in our nature, yet we four brothers have swarn to guard this amulet until our lives have ended. I cannot let you pass"  
  
"Heh, I'll be doing you a favour then" chuckled Subzero nastilly "When I kill you, you won't have to guard this stupid thing anymore"  
  
"No" replied the god solemly "I do not wish for the return of the dark god. He destroyed many in the old times. I lost many of my brethren to him"  
  
"What dark god?" questioned Subzero "Who is this god you're talking about?"  
  
"You still don't understand do you?" said the voice with unimaginable sorow locked up in it "We desire life not death for all beings of this realm ... yet when the dark god comes all we have worked for will be at an end. The brothers of the shadow will swarm this world and slay all life"  
  
"Enough I'm not listening to any more of this bullshit!" screamed Subzero standing back "You are trying to trick me water god. Well it won't work, I have never failed on a mission good or evil and I will not fail now"  
  
"Then Raiden help us all" replied the voice bracing itself for the impact. Subzero leapt forward with an ice bolt he froze the water god on the spot before it had a change to move. With a spinning uppercut he smashed the element up into the air, it blurred turning into a patch of water it dribbled down joining back together it slivered under his feet tripping him up he fell to the grilled floor with a loss of breath.  
  
The water god stood back against the edge of the wall and put both index fingers of both hands together. A white light bursed out as balls of hydro water shot out towards Subzero who staggering to his feet wrongly tried to block. The blast smacked into him with full force and he fell off of the platform with a scream of fear.  
  
The water below came rushing up fast and boy was he shit scared. Frantically he tried to save himself but too late he splashed into the water far below the surface. In the gloomy cold deapths he tried to keep the air inside of him. Below at the bottome of the cavern he could see a huge giant old fan that stood still. It was rusty and bits of seaweed flailed off of it in the water. There was another splash above him and he saw the water god enter swimming below the surface towards him with white pupiless flashing eyes. Stretching hands forward he tried an ice bolt. The water froze out in a long line creating a pillar of ice in the water. The water god was hit and froze shaking from side to side uncontrollably. It sank slowly to the ground where it clanked on the floor below a frozen lump of ice.  
  
Subzero rushed to the surface and climbed to a platform below. A rat squeaked and hissed at him before running into a small pipe and away. He looked at the surface of the water nothing moved. He smiled to himself "That was too easy"  
  
Carefully bit by bit he began to climb up the walls of the cavern satisfaction glowing on him. He had defeated the god in one simple move. It was over. But he paused a moment gazing back down. Why hadn't the ilusion stopped? A moment later there was a great rushing tidlewave of water as the water god splashed out of the surface hovering in mid air it gazed at Subzero with an emotionless expression. The face seemed to constantly change as it flickered into a multitude of different emotions. Subzero hurriedly grabbed hold of the grilled bridge and hoistered himself up. The water god shot up and hovered in front of him over by the far wall where there was no bridge. He couldn't get to him while he stayed over there.  
  
Again the god hovering in place extended both hands forward and water bolts started hurtling across towards him. He ran as fast as he could across the metal grilled floor not wishing to try the same thing again. The bolts splashed behind him hitting the bridge he was rapidly running out of room fast. Reaching the wall he tried one of the secret techniques of the Lin kuei. It required incredible strength. He ran up the wall four paces before leaping backwards in a flip, the water bolt hit below and some of the spray wetted his face. He landed breathing hard crouching on the platform. Gazing down off of the bridge he realised with sudden fear that the water was starting to turn round very fast.  
  
All of a sudden it had become a very fast flowing whirl pool it span round at a deadly speed sucking the water into the central vortex. Slowly it began to rise. The water god's eys flashed again and another barage of water bolts shot towards him. This time he dodged back inbetween them the water rising all the time. Soon it would swamp him up and bring him down into the murky deapths where he would be chopped to pieces by the fan.  
  
Another barage came fast but closer together this time so that he couldn't leap inbetween them like last time. The water god was learning. As the god rested a moment he gazed down into the murky deapths. It must have been the fans that were causing the whirlpool he could imagine no other cause, yet it gave him an idea. One chance, he might be able to pull off.  
  
Again the water good shot more water bolts towards him but this time he was ready. Running across the platform he came to the wall. Aiming ice at the side he created a ledge which he slid along. Creating the ice beneath his feet as he went he turned away from the wall suddenly lifting both hands up he polar blasted the god. It froze on the post and shattered into ten thousand pieces all falling into the vortex below. He couldn't control himself, he had lifted his hands and also he had no strength left to create more ice. His hands were desperately cold he wobbled a moment on his own ice platform. It cracked from its position at the wall, and he fell uncontrollably into the whirlpool. He was being sucked in now round and round he struggled against the current. The fan came closer and closer spinning like a clarris wheel. Above the walls broke as water flooded into the cavern, the roof caved in and the light faded from Subzero's eyes. In a blur everything was gone. He was left in the darkness with only his cold hands, and they were so very cold. So very cold... 


	8. Truth through Flames

Chapter 8: Truth through flames  
  
He was in complete darkness. Orange light shone in through a metal window high up. Red eyes looked out of the darkness, far away the sounds of machinery could be heard. The buzzing of a saw and a huge slamming noise that seemed to echo for miles arround although in this room it was only a faint far off noise.  
  
"Welcome, we are the brothers of the shadow. We have come to claim you to join our ranks"  
  
Abysmal figures looked out with masked faces. They were strong looking and each held a weapon in his hand. Subzero stayed still unable to move, he was frozen to the spot in the blue yet as the red eyes came closer in the darkness he could feel the coldness creeping round him from their presence.  
  
"General Noobsaibot will be pleased that we have found such a powerful minion to serve him"  
  
The eyes stopped and a force was pulling at Subzero. He didn't know who these people were or what had happened to him but he knew for sure that he had to get away from them at all costs.  
  
"He's getting away!" spitted one with a wet voice, it soudned rasping through some kind of machinery, the red eyes stared on as Subzero moved across the room up to the ceiling he stopped by the window and looked out into a smogy sky. Factory towers lined the horizon, huge masses of machinery could be seen churning and turning. He felt eyes watching him from far away trying to find him in the blackness.  
  
"Stay!" called a voice behind him rasping with a slight lisp, in the dark he could see the human teeth shinning under the orange light from the window. Many were broken and some were missing, a tongue shot out long like a snake and coiled across the floor "We need you here! Come join us! There is no escape you know, from the brothers of the shadow. You have been sent here to join us, your realm abandoned you, we shall receive you with open arms. Join us freind! For where will you run to?" the last words hissed like a food mixer. A hunch back with large bug eyes and huge eyelids that stuck out with stitches across his face came forward moaning "He's the one, he's the one Quan chi sent! Let him be let him be! Let him go!"  
  
"Yes" hissed the others the eyes glearing in the darkness "Let him go. He is a servant of our master the hell lord who nobody dare betrays for he slew Lucifer and now he is lord of all the pits the darkness and the blood"  
  
"May I gaze at him a while? He who is tainted by evil? Let me touch him masters" whispered a voice behind the others.  
  
"Get back wretch, or you shall return to the dungeons"  
  
"Let me see him, I'll tear you apart unless you let me see him, let me touch him I only want to feel his living soul, master let me touch him!"  
  
"I said back!" roared the task master and his large spear glowed orange suddenly he sliced a great ark through the crowd, a shower of blood reached up into the air hitting the metal ceiling.  
  
There was a scream in the darkness and a scuffle. A weapon flashed in the dim light and blood sprayed out like a fountain across the room as gleaming blades cut into flesh. Roars ripped out through the room and they all drew into chaos unsheaving weapons the various horrible forms started killing each other. Moans and screams let out in the darkness as bodies fell on blades and the hunchback fell back against the wall as the task master stood over him ripping open his chest with huge clawed fingers that seemed to have unsheaved themselves like a tigers. The task master fell his faced gawking as he was impaled by a sword from behind. He screamed an unearthly scream and pulled the blade out from behind him resting on his knees a moment he turned on his attacker blood pouring down his legs. Subzero felt the pull suddenly and he was off away from that dismal place.  
  
Up into the sky he hurtled and below he could see all of the factories passing by underneath him. Faster he flew faster still the buildings passed by underneath him like watching from a fast train window, the lake of souls came over the horizon in unholy spelndour. He crossed bridge through the door passed men in red robes, and henchman with axes he passed up high through arches and pillars until he came at last to the bridge where the bald man stood. Pale faced and grinning Quan chi stood to his feet with open arms.  
  
"Subzero you have almost done it! You are indeed a great warrior, I am sorry I did not get to you sooner, I did not realise you were with the brothers of the shadow. I am glad your soul is unharmed. Finnaly the moment has arisen, you shall return to the temple to fight the fire elemental. After that your job will be complete and I shall show you the gates to my humble abode. Now Subzero go one last time and defeat your finnal enemy the god of fire. Even now he trembles in his lair waiting for you to find him. He knows that his other three brothers have been destroyed and he also knows that soon it will be his turn. Go and put him out of his misery Subzero, and then I can give you your well deserved reward!"  
  
Back he flew out of the pyramid up into the sky. The orange smoky sky that seemed always to burn with a dead sun. It was hot, the sun burned him as he rose higher and higher into the orange mist. He felt the heat penetrate his clothing and he began to sweat.  
  
When he finnaly awoke he was feeling very hot. He was in a huge cave where fire and lava were burning across the distant landscape. Temples and huge buildings stretched out into the distance, Stalacytes lined the roof ripe and ready to fall. He stood to his feet feeling the heat leave his back. He was standing on dark tiles, they were firmly placed yet seemed old and charred as if this place had been deserted long ago and scorched by flames. A monk came running up in the distance, he squinted as he came closer Subzero braced himself for battle but the monk stopped just before they impacted.  
  
"Subzero" said the monk hurriedly, the eyes burned with real fire as he looked into them. The orange clothing seemed to flare about in an unknown wind as if it were on fire with energy. Subzero could see his own reflection in the flames of the monk's eyes.  
  
"Yes?" he replied trying as best as he could to keep his composure.  
  
"The Fire God begs you to spare him and return to your Grandmaster. As a truce he offers the most beutiful gem in the world, Nabara's crystal created by the god of life. It shines with a thousand coulers just as she did before she was destroyed by the dark god so many eons ago, its location as been hidden to man since the dragon king"  
  
"Hahaha!" lauthed Subzero standing to his feet he stood tall now and gazed down at the monk with evil lauthter "Your god now begs me for mercy? How pathetic, it is too late for that my freind. I have come so close and I won't stop now"  
  
"If you do not acept he sais he will offer you any treasure in the world instead of the amulet. Think about it master Subzero! You could have anything you desire! Treasure untold of! He could make you king of this world! You have come far enough, you have defeated three of the most powerful gods, and have earned your place as a legend among gods if not among men! Now is the time to end what you have started! Three gods is enough for any man, you have done enough great warrior! Let us return you to your realm please I beg you!"  
  
"If you think I'm going to stop now for anything" lauthed Subzero loudly "Then you're more of fool then I thought. I acepted this job and I'm going to finish it whether all of hell stands in my way. Run back squirming to your master and tell him that I'm coming for him. Tell him he can either hand over the amulet or die trying to stop me from taking it. It is too late to bargain, your quivering coward of a master should have spoken to me when I first entered this temple"  
  
"You fool!" shouted monk looking up with firey eyes "You fool! Do you know what you are even doing! You fool to throw away the favour of the gods! Alas I shall not run away as you think, for I am no coward. I'll face you here as my master intended, prepare yourself warrior for you will regret your decision"  
  
"You really are pathetic" said Subzero standing tall over the monk "If you don't get out of the way you squirming little wretch I'll kill you myself. It is your god who has abandoned you you fool. He has sacrificed you to save his own skin, now stand aside so that I may pass"  
  
The monk stood to his feet and put both arms forward in a combat stance. Far away a mountain that reached up high towards the cave roof exploded in an eruption. Fire and lava courced down the sides burning the rock in its path.  
  
"Dwell on my option Subzero! You can have anything you desire!"  
  
"Then I desire completion of my task" replied Subzero coldly with an intent gaze "Or to die trying"  
  
The monk attacked suddenly as Subzero knew he would. He was trying to catch Subzero off guard the same as Subzero himself would have done. He didn't know how much time had passed in the temple, he had slept inbetween the elements for a very long time but he didn't know how long. It could have been for eternity, he had no way of telling even what day or year it was outside of the temple. Since when he had entered he had changed drastically. He seemed taller somehow, more firm more confident than before. He knew what this monk was trying to do and grabbing the arm he twisted it so that it almost broke and frew the monk over his shoulder.  
  
He landed with a cry of pain on some steps and stood up quickly knocking over and smashing a wilted flower pot. It would have been priceless if it had ever left the temple. The dead leaves sank over the edge the dry bulbs fell out of the crumbling earth and pieces of clay as it smashed over the floor.  
  
The monk hurled himself forward in a flying kick. He was fast, but Subzero was ready for him before he had even started the move. He caught the monk's leg as he jumpped and catching him he span him round and frew him up in the air. The monk landed with a crash on the floor rolling over in obvious agony.  
  
Subzero walked away, the monk's leg was broken twisted at a bad angle. Looking back he watched with amusmant as the monk started to crawl towards him in desperation. A hand reached out Subzero lauthed, he looked so pathetic down there on the floor like that. He charged up an ice bolt with one hand and pointed it forward the fingers glowing with cold energy.  
  
The monk tried to climb the steps towards the temple and towards Subzero but he couldn't he slumpped to the ground weakened by the pain and his trek across the caverns from the lair of the fire god. Subzero turned away with a laugh and set off through the temple towards his destiny.  
  
"They are lying to me" he spat as he ran "There is no danger in that amulet, they just do not want me to be able to say I destroyed the four elements! I suceeded where the others failed. If I stop now then no mortal will ever have defeated the four gods that represent the very substance of this realm! They looked down at me when I entered this temple and it shall be me who at the end of it all looks down on them!"  
  
Fire was everywhere in the temple and the traps were like in the earth temple ,hazards that automatically went off at regular intervals. Subzero had to run across hot coals and red hot stones to get further towards the source of the power. He passed through the buildings one by one. Many had, fire traps inside them which considering this was the home of the final element wasn't surprising. Swirling sparkles on the ground leaped up with flame every now and again yet was quite safe to walk over when not alight. Small square holes in the walls shot flames reguarly so that jumping through them had to be timed perfectly.  
  
As he came closer the sweltering heat became more and more unbearable in this dead wilderness. His hands had completely stopped hurting in the warmth. Down here where it was warm although his hands were slow to react to the powers over ice, and harder to use those same powers, they felt for the first time in a very long time like normal human hands. When he looked at them or touched his own skin with them, they were not cold. His hands were human like any other persons. He could move them as freely as any other time in his life, yet now there was not that chill about them. They were warm and freindly, there was no pain under the surface.  
  
Unlike all the other elements in these caverns Subzero felt that he always knew the way to go. There was a power calling to him deep in the heart of the caves. It was leading him onwards like a faint sound that becomes louder as one gets closer to it in darkness. At every turning he felt closer to the amulet, every whisk of flame to him showed the Fire god's fear.  
  
He crossed bridges of solid fire where below lava rushed across in rivers. The whole foundation of the temples seemed damaged, many buildings had sunk into the ground or were leaning with broken pillars towards a chasm or black consuming abyss.  
  
Above some of these chasms platforms ascended and decended pulled by strange mechanisms on rooftops. Metal chains brought the platforms up and down and the noise creaked loudly with rust and lack of oil. Subzero leapt across them as easily as crossing stones on a river. Below him as he jumpped he could see chunks of huge rocks floating down in the lava streams. Some of them cracked against the temple walls and smashed into further pieces that sunk down into the heat. The heat was sweltering but he was given confidence that this was the last mile.  
  
The power called growing stronger as the heat pierced further into his body. It was like being in the Gobi desert again only worse, the heat here actually seemed to attack him mentally. It seemed to want to erge him to leave although how he would leave even if he wanted to seemed a difficult idea to comprehend. He certainly couldn't leave this place on his own, not without the help of Quan chi or a god. If he was going to get out of the temple alive he'd have to ally himself with one or the other, and he had decided.  
  
It was as he was crossing a stone bridge that a monk attacked him running across the black tiles towards him. They battled with no barrier to stop them falling into the heated furnace below. More than ever Subzero felt the talant within him stronger than before. He dodged the monk's blows with ease stepping aside he used moves from all styles he had been taught. The monk blocked in a frenzy doing everything he could not to attack, but to survive the punches and kicks that were giving him no chance to fight back. Spinning wildly and landing a kick he sent the monk over the edge with a scream he fell into the lava below the orange leggings flapping in the hot air before dicintegrating in a flash of flame.  
  
Sweat dripped from Subzero's body yet still he continued on through the flames. It was at times like these that he couldn't tell whether he was alive or dead. He was coming to his wits end, slowly the heat was starting to get to him. The hot air was bouring down upon him like nothing ever had done in his life. The air itself seemed to burn. Now and again great balls of fire leapt out of the lava below to land again in some other part of the stream. Like the other elements, in these caves it seemed that fire was king. There was hardly a drop of water in this dead acursed place, earth burned and wind was flattened under the heat. The fire itself was alive leaping out of the streams below, the servants of heat were active exploring their kingdom in their natural playful and destructive ways.  
  
The temples themselves seemed to be part of some kind of ancient civilisation. What this meant or represented Subzero did not know. He was not completely sure where this place was or what it was. Did the temple even exist at all? He could never be sure unless he was told by someone who knew what they were doing.  
  
Passing through one building he found a large alter towards the back of the room. He was at his wits end, he was almost ready to fall down there, desperate for rest and water. On the alter was an Urn with a pale green liquid inside. He was desperate for something to drink in that sweltering fire and did not think twice that the offering might be poison. The Urn wasn't for his luck poisened, in fact it filled him with better spirits, restored his will power and energy to continue. He left the cup drained where it stood and left walking on through the red embered passageways towards the ever present goal.  
  
With each temple he passed through the feeling grew stronger. As he passed through more traps jumping inbetween the flames and leaping over hot stones the heat became stronger. Great stone briges seemed sometimes to stretch out for miles as streight as a motorway connecting two temples together. The caves themselves looked the same in fact from the surroundings he couldn't have been able to tell whether he hadn't gone streight back to the beginning or not. It was the dreadful feeling that drew him on and told him that he was going the right way. He was looking forward to his reward, but it was more than that. It was his pride that had grown over the cource of the temples. He felt unstopable now, he saw Quan chi as an aider of this new power. Quan chi had helped him to take up the mission. Quan chi was his freind, it didn't matter whether he was a sorceror or what he was trying to do. Quan chi in his eyes had done him a good deed.  
  
Above the roof looked down foreboding rocks hanging from its humble surface. A rumble shook the earth at one moment and dodging aside Subzero missed a falling stalacyte that impaled itself into the stones foretelling strongly of the damage it could have done to Subzero's frail mortal body. Voices whispered to him in the heat and the red glow and light that came from the fires "Turn back! Leave! You have come far enough why journy further?" yet it only drove him on. The fire god was desperate, trying anything it could to try and get rid of him the parasite. He was a cold death come to quench the fire god and take back what was stolen from Quan chi. He was a hero in the flames, when he returned to the Lin kuei he could speak of his bravery like a newly earned medal. He was the greatest warrior overcoming all odds, his pride bolstered like a bubble in a cauldron.  
  
The walls drew in tighter and closer like angered Golems or stone Titans come to squash his frail body. The roof hung closer to the ground as he approached the final temple. This one was carved out of the rock itself and a burning heat came from inside of it. He flung the patterened stone doors open and charged inwards into the centre. The doors closed behind him with a slam and in the distance the volcano exploded the top fragmenting as lava spilled out into the ancient citys below.  
  
A great circular rocky room he spied both of his objectives in one turn of the head. The fire god with pointed hat like Raiden himself turned to meet his eyes. The body was all flame and burned fiercly ready to defend until the end of time. A rocky platform stretched out from the mid point between Subzero and the god. It arose into a light that came down from the ceiling. It was daylight he could tell at once, the first he had seen in what felt like a very long time.  
  
Inside the daylight he could see the amulet. A circle made of some strange matirial which inside held a square which in itself held a small green gem. It hovered in the air, a beutiful yet cold object that had something very malicient in its design. The way the square was interposed upon the circle gave it a cold logical air, he could feel the aura coming off of the object. It certainly didn't feel like a holy object, yet it was only an amulet.  
  
The fire god turned his head. His body was slendour and burning constantly. He was made out of fire and seemed constantly to be changing his mind about what he should looklike to best suit his opponent. He seemed contented with the idea of Raiden. It shocked Subzero for a brief instant, but he realised quickly that the god had senced within himself his worry that Raiden might appear during his mission. The thunder god so legend had it was the protecter of the world the skies and its boundaries. How much did Raiden know about Subzero's exploits? It reminded Subzero to hurry, he'd need to get rid of this god quickly and finish the mission. The idea of being tag-teamed by the gods themselves seemed worrying in the least especially when his partner Quan chi was however many miles away in his "humble abode"  
  
"So Subzero have you come to kill me as well?" spat the fire god flames hissing out of his mouth "You did a pretty good job of butchering the water god, and so I hear you killed my other two brothers as well. You enter the temple of elements from the mortal realm proud you are and challance the gods themselves. You destroy three of my brothers and turn down my humble offers that would not only bestow great legend upon you and your clan but would mark you in the history of this world forever. You destroy my two servants one who came in peace with my offerings and now you have come to finish the job and plunge your realm into darkness, am I right?"  
  
"That's pretty much it" sweltered Subzero not really listening to what the god had said. The voice was hot and burning like a furnace, it was mid pitched and had a slight growl to it flickering inbetween words.  
  
"Even now the black sorcerer Quan chi is waiting in the Neatherealm to come and claim his master's prize. Once I am defeated Quan chi will be able to open the portal into this temple and take the amulet for himself. What he will do with you mortal I have no idea. Kill you on the spot probably"  
  
"Quan chi has offered me a reward. And I am well prepared to face him off if he attacks me. If the actions you say that he will take are true, he will not only have me as a bitter enemy but the whole force of my clan as well against him"  
  
"You think you and your petty clan have any chance against that sorcerer? You don't seem to realise who you are dealing with here. Quan chi is one of the most powerful sorcerers the astral planes have ever witnessed. He has aquired free passage inbetween the worlds, what Subzero could your clan possibly do to defeat him?"  
  
"Why didn't you gods try and track him down then if he's such a dangerous person? Surely you would have realised that he would send an assassin into your temple!"  
  
"We gods have no powers beyond this realm. Quan chi has powers in all realms. If we saught him out then we would have to lose out imortality, the greatest of sacrifices"  
  
"Why don't you destroy the amulet then?" grunted Subzero "Or did you as I suspect just steal it from him and even now are attempting to again tell me more of your lies"  
  
"Only the elder gods and the dark god himself can unmake the amulet, yet you are now going to give it to the dark god"  
  
"Are you saying that Quan chi is the dark god? What on earth are you talking about? Listen fire god I'm fed up with hearing you lot talk bullshit to me all day. I've had enough of sorcerer's talk metaphors half hearted explanations. I've got my own explantion if you don't mind, and that's for me to finish what I started"  
  
The fire god stopped wrath in his eyes. The body leaped into flames more vigurously than before and he prepared himself in combat stance "As you wish" the voice echoed round the chasm.  
  
They charged towards each other across the bridge and met in the middle. The fire god was god and Subzero knew that this battle would be much more tricky than the rest. They were opposites to each other, each trying to quench the other one. Using his skill he cooled down his own entire body charging himself with ice energies. It was something he rarely did, the pain was excruciating, yet the physical benefits huge. His heart beat cold as the final element made one last stand against him.  
  
Imiediately he could feel the fire burning into him as they swapped blows. His hands were so cold now they felt imune, but the other parts of his body were not. His body in the cold was giving out a blue radience. The pain wasn't physical it was something else that burned deep into him mentally from his own abilities. He took a firey blow in the stomach and was knocked head over heels onto the floor. His own coldness hurt him more than the flaming blow had. In this state it was the only way he could fight the fire god, yet he couldn't keep this up forever.  
  
The fire god charged again towards him as he got up. Readying himself he backflipped away creating an ice statue of himself where he had been standing. The god came to a halt too late and ice and cold snow smashed out over his hot body. He screamed out in pain as smoke poured off of his flaming torso. He backed off shivering uncontrollably from the pain. Subzero took up the advantage with an ice bolt.  
  
The fire god dodged leaping up into the air he matirialised behind Subzero before he even had a chance to turn his head. He was knocked high into the air and landed hanging to the bridge by one hand. He holstered himself up quickly punching the fire god in the stomach.  
  
Another blow and he knocked the element to the floor. Running he turned and tried to get to the amulet. He turned across the bridge towards it before falling flat on his face. The fire god had grabbed his ankle and was now burning through the cold shield that Subzero had generated around his body. He could feel the flames beginning to weaken him soon they'd burn through and into his clothes and flesh. Moving forward the god placed his other hand on the Lin kuei's back burning the centre. The pain was excruciating as he tried to keep the cold shield up.  
  
Letting all defenses drop suddenly he swung round with a smoke cloud and elboed the fire god to the floor. Subzero leaped on top of the god suddenly feeling the fire burn into his knees. Outstretching both hands forward he aimed at the chest. His hands flashed white suddenly. The polar blast took everything out of him. The cavern shook and the whole bridge went icy white with the cold energies. There was nothing apart from frozen stone underneath him any more. The smoke ascended up towards the ceiling. He felt terribly weakened, exhausted. He was in all truth lucky to be alive. On his knees he watched the vapour ascend skywards, and breathed heavily. His job was over, he'd done it. He watched with a smile as the cloud wavoured and began to dissapere into the warm air.  
  
Suddenly it clouded and took the form of a grim face. He looked up terrified into haunted burning eyes. The face was of the fire god, it burned with a flicker of flame in each eye. For a moment he thought it would again attack him, but it merely floated there looking down on him. The same voice spoke that he would remember for the rest of his life.  
  
"Subzero" it said not loudly as before, but now as a soft whispering of smoke "You have killed off the last of the elements, and with it your dignity. Go now doomed warrior, and doom the world as you see fit. Only Raiden stands in your way now and blackening this once great world into complete darkness. For your own restless soul's sake... I hope you are prowd of what you have destroyed"  
  
In a moment the spirit was gone, and Subzero stood still gawking at where the smoke had been only a moment before. The fires suddenly went out, and he knew that the fire element had departed this realm as a ghost. Walking up the raised platform he came to the amulet with terrified eyes. There was now no longer anything to stop him. He reached out...  
  
A white hand snatched the amulet away "Fool!" Subzero stepped back gazing at the figure before him. Suddenly so real he realised with a strange mix of emotions who was in front of him. It was Quan chi, the pale skull faced sorcerer, he stood in black with great spikes rising out of his shoulder pads.  
  
"The amulet!" he laughed slowly, he gazed into the swirling depths of the green gem and holding it up to the firey roof it glinted in the flames "I have Shinnoch's amulet" he sneered quietly he brought it down into both hands and caressed the bronze surface.  
  
Subzero gawked "Whose amulet?" he stuttered with fear in his eyes. This display of passion mixed with malice disturbed him. It foretold of another world of emotion, something that he had never seen before in a person.  
  
Quanchi sneered stepping forward slowly "He... is... my deity" he said softly pronouncing each word with great strength and pride "And ruler of the Neatherealm!" the fires round the walls leaped up at the sound of that word. That place, the name suddenly rang clear in Subzero's mind. He had heard of it before, yet he had never truly believed in its existance.  
  
"And soon destroyer of your earth realm" continued Quan chi slowly caressing the bronze, his fingers passing over the green centered gem over and over again he smiled with pleasure the green light flickering with flames in his eyes "This is definitely Shinnock's amulet" he whispered with a madenning curve of a smile reaching into his lips.  
  
"What are you talking about?" replied Subzero angrily.  
  
"This amulet is the key to Shinnock's power as an elder god. When returned to him he will retain his powers and be free from the confines of the Neatherealm"  
  
"Destroyer of all realms?" gasped Subzero the Lin kuei legend ringing back in his ears after all this time "I think you are insane! That amulet isn't worth the bronze it's molded from!"  
  
"Believe what you will Subzero" smiled Quan chi with a death like gaze, he stepped back into the light that came down from above where the amulet for so long had remained seperated from its former master "Goodbye... Ninja" he sneered laughing a green light surrounded him flickering round the walls he dissapered with a flash. Subzero stood there gazing at the spot where the sorcerer had stood only a moment before. Now with the element of fire defeated it was only a matter of time before the walls of the temple broke down completely and caved in on him. He would die here and rightly so for the crime he had committed. He waited standing still for his approaching doom. 


	9. Into the Pits of Hell

Chapter 9: Into the pits of hell  
  
Below the flames hissed and it seemed as if their dying light was the dying light of his own flickering life. He could feel the heat of the fire temple cooling slowly. He had destroyed four gods and had allowed the greatest enemy of the Earthrealm all the power he could ever desire. He had nothing left to do...  
  
Suddenly without warning a great light flashed down from the open day light above. Electricity flickered running up the walls in a great white glow. He covered his eyes from the brightness he staggered back and almost lost his footing in the twilight. When he finnaly opened his eyes it had been the person he had been dreading all of this time. The thunder god himself stood there ready to slay him in fury. A coned straw hat was on his head, white silk clothing that rippled with electricity he looked at Subzero from under shaded flickering and dangerous eyes. He was angry, and the wrath of the storm showed in his face. The storm that he had caused in his search for the one who had stolen the map, the one who had started the cycle only to find that same one finishing it with ultimately the destruction of his own realm at hand.  
  
"Do you realise what you've done?" he whispered. The voice was quiet yet had a static charge about it as if he were at any moment about to bursed into uncontrolled anger. Subzero was silent for a long time, he looked down at the floor unable to gaze the thunder god in the eyes.  
  
"I was just earning my living" he replied very slowly. Slowly with great effort he raised his head, and with his own cold eyes he gazed fully into the eyes of the thunder god himself, prepared to resist the gods until his last breath.  
  
"Your clan's ignorance and greed will cost this entire realm!" roared Raiden his voice booming across the cavern. Lightning flickered across the walls in his anger "You!" he spat as the storm died down pointing intently at Subzero with an electric finger "Must set things straight"  
  
Many a mortal would have turned and fled at that shock, to see the full anger of the thunder god set against them. But Subzero was different, he had been changed by his ordeal and he himself had anger enough at the gods for their own ways to save him from cowadice. The way they looked down upon mortals, the way they never appeared to mortal men to prove their existances "Quan chi could simply be a lunatic sorcerer" he mumbled slowly "I have never heard of an elder god named Shinnoch... or of a place called the Neatherealm" he lied.  
  
"Well," grunted Raiden turning away he chuckled to himself electricity moving slowly down his body "You'd better start believing in both... because you're going to the Neatherealm" he turned again slowly to face Subzero with force in his eyes "And you're going to bring the amulet back"  
  
Subzero gazed away at the floor. He gazed at the flames below and wondered dimly whether it would be worth his while to jump in them. He looked better than he felt, and he knew it. But the horror of what he had done had caught up with him finnaly, and he realised with full knoledge that denile would no longer save him.  
  
"We must act quickly" hurried Raiden perhaps having some suspicien's of the Lin kuei's thoughts "I have no dominian in the Neatherealm. You... are realitys only hope"  
  
"I'll do it Thunder God" sneered Subzero looking down into the flames "But only because I have no choice"  
  
"Then stand back..." whispered Raiden turning in a whale of wind. Lightning flickered from the tip of his white stave and struck out from all points in the chambour to a single blue vortex in the middle of the air. The bright light again almost blinded Subzero who had to cover his eyes from the light. Again Raiden turned to him but this time with a silent woe and sorrow in his voice as if the quest he was about to embark upon Subzero had no hope "This is a portal into the Neatherealm" he whispered "Once through, follow Quan chi and try to get the amulet before he gives it to Shinnoch"  
  
Subzero nodded and returning his gaze he looked again at the Thunder God's face. The god lifted his head and for the first time Subzero could see the face. It seemed trouble and inside the white eyes that held no pupils he could see far away a raging storm of lightning and rain. Electricity flickered across his body and he spoke again "I also offer this advice... beware the Brothers of the Shadow. The Neatherealm is a place for lost souls. If you fail your soul will join theirs, and so will the souls of this entire realm..."  
  
Turning from Raiden he gazed at the blue glowing portal in front of him. It lead he knew into the Neatherealm itself. From then on it was up to him. No god of the earth realm could venture into that place. It was up to him to try to undo the damage he had created. He looked once upon Raiden and saw him as a different person than he had always used to. Was he really actually trying to help the world?  
  
Quan chi his only ally in this wretched temple had betrayed him. Where was his reward? Looking back at the portal he gazed into the blue swirling deapths and sneered the anger that had long been boiling up inside him again coming to the surface.  
  
"Quan chi I'm coming for you you ugly bastard. I'll make you regret leaving me in the dark" tightening his fists he ran forward suddenly off of the bridge he leaped through the air diving into the blue vortex. His anger was strong, yet he would need it where he was going. The world passed away and Raiden watched behind him as he passed inbetween the realms.  
  
In a moment the temple had gone in a flash. In the next, he had passed into darkness, a green light flashed in front of him and for a moment he thought he had seen the sorceror. Had it truly been Quan chi or was his mind playing tricks on him?  
  
Behind him he turned for a moment to see the blue portal fade and dissapere. He was trapped here now. Raiden certainly wouldn't let him come back until he was dead or had suceeded in his final mission. Again, Subzero seemed to have no choice in the matter. He was a puppet on a piece of string. Before he was being wielded by a sorcerer, now he was being wielded by a god. He felt more like an object than a human being. A plaything for masters that he had no control over.  
  
The surroundings he realised slowly seemed nothing like he would have expected them to be. This was not fire and brimstone he had come to expect of "hell". This wasn't a hellish room, the walls were constructed from metal in a futeristic style. The floor was concrete and it felt as if he had passed into the futere itself. Yet there was a certain atmosphere about the place. A darkness that pressed into the mind that proved otherwise. There was something certainly not right about it, something cold and sereal. Had Raiden sent him to the wrong place? The metal wall dipped diagonally away and then at the base dipped inwards where what looked like a door was set in place. It pointed outwards like a triangle.  
  
He walked slowly over to it and looked it up and down. It seemed like a military blast door or something similarly like it. Was he in a military base, would he be set upon by soldiers as soon as he left this room? Pressing his hands on the door it opened and suddenly he realised with grim certainty exactly where he was and what he had to do...  
  
Up above the sky burned orange with misty clouds that seemed too close to the ground and suffocated him with their presence. In the distance in every direction factory towers stretched up into the air like metalic monsters. Fumes hissed out of pipes and looking dimly below the windy concrete courseway, far below he could see highways, and motorways where strange creatures passed across the pavements and roads some shaped as human beings others were not. The air wasn't cold, neither was it hot damp or anything else. It was truly empty of detail. This place was inherintly evil, there was not another way to describe it. He knew imiediately now that this was hell, this was the Neatherealm. He had been here before and he remembered the emptyness. When each dream that the gods had created crumbled with their demises, Subzero had been pulled into this realm to Quan chi's quarters to escape his fate amongst the rubble.  
  
He had passed over these factories like a bird at high speed. The black smoke choked up into the skies the same as it had when Quan chi had called him. Yet this time he was in charge of his own body. This time it seemed that Quan chi had no power over him in this realm. It seemed that here he had his mortal body as a protection against the evil, yet he didn't know how long this frail thing would last in the harsh plains of the Neatherealm. He knew nothing of what to expect, and foolishly he headed out, under the orange sky, with no clue in the world of where he should be heading.  
  
Below in the streets he could hear the noise of car horns being blasted, the screeching of demons and the cries of the dammed echoed distantly. The stone walkway seemed to reach out forever. In the distance he could see huge magnificent hammers smashing down on the walkways. Small dark figures threw objects underneath them, barrels and things he couldn't quite see in the dull orange light. Bodies maybe?  
  
The wind blew against his mask and he stopped a moment as a great rush of wind passed over him. The bridge wobbled from side to side stones crumbling away at the sides and he struggled to keep his balance. He turned slowly round with great fear to see a sight that petrified him with fear and terror. Only in storys had he imagined such a thing and now he saw it before his very eyes.  
  
A huge demon hovered on the platform, great black wings stretching out into the burning orange sky. It flapped them slowly from side to side, black clawed legs with red firy burning eyes. Black horns pointed out of its head and in his hand was a single glowing blue card rectangular in shape.  
  
"Where are you heading mortal?" came the voice. It sounded like rusty nails; this penetrated Subzero with more fear than any of the elements ever had. The wings flapped slowly and menacingly from side to side, the voice seemed to echo in his mind if not across the distant building. He was in a tight situation here and he damn well knew it.  
  
"I was just going for a stroll ... I'm under the protection of Noobsaibot" the name seemed familiar somehow, he remembered it dimly from his dreams and was praying to the thunder god at that moment that it would prove true.  
  
The demon laughed the black wings stretching out with their own darkness that seemed to swamp him on that windy crag "Heh heh heh, I might have guessed it would be Noobsaibot who would bring a mortal to the Neatherealm. You should be more careful ... mortal. Mortals are not tollerated in the Neatherealm, if Noobsaibot hadn't told you that then he's more of a fool than I thought" the voice dug into his skin like needles. The demon's shadow seemed to grow swamping Subzero from head to foot until it seemed that he was in complete darkness. It was terrifying beyond belief and even Subzero was breaking out into a sweat at that point scaircely able to contain his deep fear of the being "Give him this from me" said the demon solomly "Its the keycard he asked for. If I were you I'd get him to give you a better explanation of how this realm works... or else you will end up in the prison of souls"  
  
"Thanks very much" smiled Subzero quivering with fear, he took the card slowly in his hands bowed and stepped back.  
  
The demon laugthed again "Not so quick on the uptake either, bow to me again mortal and I'll rip your lungs out. There is only one lord of this hell, and when the time comes you will instead bow to him. I advise you mortal again, learn fast, or get out before we consume you"  
  
"What should I say in response?" quivered Subzero not wanting very much to have his lungs ripped out at that moment.  
  
"Have mercy Oni. Make sure you get it right or we kill you. You are lucky that you came upon one with more of a mind than most. The others would just have tortured you to death"  
  
"Have mercy Oni" said Subzero shuddering as the winds blew at him "That's better" hissed the demon and it flew off towards the sky the dark shadow leaving Subzero to mark its path across the ground below. It was impossible to describe what the experiance had been like for Subzero. The demon had filled him with inner dread, and fear. Meeting this thing, he knew that right from the beginning it waas a servant of darkness. It was true to evil, everything it did was in the logic that it would cause pain and suffering to another. If it took pity on something, it was only because it knew that that something could either cause pain to it, or had the power to cause greater pain to others... He looked the keycard up and down. It was blue and had a five pointed star with a circle round it on the front, the symbol of the devil. The marking seemed to glow red with fire as he looked at it, it seemed to rise up out of the blue card before he quickly withdrew his gaze and retured his eyes to the courceway.  
  
This was not the best place for himself to dwell, this was his first observation. He was too exposed up here. A moment later and he could have another of those winged demons finding him with their tortures and burning red eyes. He realised now why the amulet meant certain death to his own realm. The beings of this plain were an army constantly squabbling over each other. As soon as they had a realm to invade they would soon put aside their petty differences and attack in one force. Once that happened there would be nothing to stop them. Not all the forces of the earthrealm put together could stop the swarms of hell. These demons were stronger than the elements, stronger than the gods themselves. It seemed strange that this sub realm, this outcast of realms had always lain under them, locked away from the earth realm and yet nobody ever trully feared its potency. It was a skeleton in the closet that if ever it broke lose from its chains would ultimately destroy the earthrealm forever. This was what Quan chi would do if not stopped, this was the conesequences of his own actions. He gazed up at the orange sky and it seemed as if the clouds were right next to him, and that with a little effort he could reach up and touch them.  
  
He had read about the Neathrealm in the ancient tomes of the Lin kuei. Those books had always mentioned fire and damnation, but how could they truly be trusted to portray the truth? Perhaps Hell itself was always changing as the demons themselves changed? For this was not as the book put it "Fire and brimstone" or "The Pillars of Skulls" that it had made out. This hell resembled the earth realm, with huge industrial buildings and machinary. It was like a twisted and demonic version of his own realm, evil trying its best to resemble good and failing miserably.  
  
Edging round a large circular grey building that looked like some kind of water tank he found a rusty metal ladder that he carefully decended grabbing tightly onto each ledge as the pins holding the ladder to the wall wobbled. It lead down he noticed to a small yellow platform that was attached to the water tank. A small computer was on the side, looking at it he realised that it had a keycard slot in the side. This was an elevator if he was not mistaken.  
  
"I wonder..." he muttered carefully placing the blue card in the slot. He swiped it once and a series of codes came on the computer screen. The wind blew at him a moment and he had to close his eyes because of the sting of the harsh wind against his eyeballs. Green writing came up on screen with a list of floors. He picked the ground one withdrawing the card he waited slowly as the lift decended. It started with a jerk and slowly moved down the side of the building towards the busy streets below. He was coming out inside a backalleyway of some kind.  
  
The horizon dissapered behind the buildings and slowly the streets came up closer into view. A car sounding its horn zoomed passed splashing a figure in the darkness who called out with anger shaking his clawed fists. The wind swept at him from all directions apart from the water tank where at least from that direction he was wind sheilded. The horizon seemed slowly to move upwards as he moved downwards, and the sky itself seemed to follow him down trying even harder to crush him. He was startled suddenly by a fowel noise below, a voice, he peered over the edge.  
  
"Stop!" growled the speaker below "Stop the elevator!" it hissed. Subzero looked at the computer and tried to find a way to make it stop. Looking over the edge he saw a strange looking human. A large horn had grown out of the front of its head, an old dirty tshirt was ripped all over and in tatters showing a hairy chest that itself had some strange green growth attached to it like a fungus. One eye was sewn shut and a small black tail came out of his brown mouldy trousers.  
  
"Stop!" he growled again "Moy Frend is dawn there! Moy Frend! No!" he bursed into a howel of tears until Subzero suddenly realised what he meant. There was somebody under the elevator. He pressed buttons frantically but it was too late. With hardly a shimmer of movement he heard a scream from below, and the sound of cracking bone. He heard the blood leaking out as some kind of demonic skull was crushed like a walnut. Some street sleeper must have been asleep as the elevator had decended unaware of his danger. The elevator stopped and the blood leaked out from under the yellow platform under the horned creature's trainers. The horned creature came forward gazing firmly with one eye "Yoo!" it roared with red eyes and tears pouring down them, it snarled flickering a fawked tongue "Yoi killed moi frend! Yoi killed moi Frend!"  
  
Subzero backed off "Easy now" he said quietly with no clear idea of how to back off the creature "I don't want to fight you"  
  
"Naw" snarled the creature gazing with one bugged slimy eye, the horn looked deadly sharp in the dark back street alley. The orange sky just caught its edge so that it flickered in the strange eery light a deadly weapon.  
  
"Naw! You killed frend! I oinli had one fwend, you die now... I kill you and I make yo die way he did!"  
  
"I said get back!" roared Subzero  
  
"Whatch gonna do mortal? I'll crush ya... cos suzi didnt loike me naw she didnt and now oive lost all of mi frends, moi only frends in this place and its all yur falt!"  
  
"I can help you!" pleaded Subzero looking desperately left and right.  
  
"I kill you" roared the beast leaping forward it opened its mouth wide to show razor sharp teeth inside. Subzero knew that this was going to happen and had no clue what tactic he should take. What was best way of killing a Neatherealm beast? Sidestepping he tripped the creature up head over the heel over his leg. Crouching down he kirate chopped the head with all his might. There was a crunch and blood sprayed up into the air all over his face and costume. The monster screamed and he backed off quickly the blood dripping from his face he smeared it away from his eyes. The head was completely smashed yet the corpse still frashed about maddly kicking from side to side. Subzero tried to wipe the blood off but it stuck to him like tar staining his beautiful blue costume. He cursed quietly watching the body beat its hands against the ground it rolled over and hit a dustbin that clanged in the dark. The screaming was high pitched now like a machine or kettle that was boiling.  
  
Turning he ran away into the shadows afraid of what he had seen. He stopped on the pavement looking left and right, glancing back onece down the dark alleyway he could see the body still moving frantically in the dark, blood spraying everywhere across walls dustbins and the floor. He could hear it only faintly now the screeching was nothing more than a soft murmer.  
  
Puddels of muck and oil lined the road sides. His feet sank into them up to the ankles he hadn't noticed until now how dirty his black boots were getting. Turning away he headed off up the road sticking to the shadows. The orange sky glinted off his face and already he looked more haggard than ever in his life. This realm was trully as hellish as all the legends went. The stones, the sky, the air were all an attack on his sanity. They begged him to turn to evil and then further, from evil to chaos. That was this realm's true intentions to remove every last drop of sanity from his blood.  
  
The doors were barred up with wood so were all the windows as if this place had been hit by plague. The buildings were dark and mysterious with quiet wailing moans coming in from some of them. The sky pressed down on the inhabitants like a heavy weight. Never before had he seen such a horrible sky. It was disgusting, it would look good on a photograph nevertheless, yet the thing about it was how it oppressed the mind. It was pressing down on this world as if it was tired of holding itself up it seemed about to fall, and all the strain and pressure was reaching down into the ground. It pained his mind to look at it, the whole atmosphere of that realm made him feel guidy as the fumes from the tar and petrol reached his nose. The effect was one of the worsed experiances he had ever had in his life.  
  
Ducking into an alleyway he watched as with a splash of oil and mud a car zoomed passed. The headlights shone out white in the black fog on full beam they glared the light bouncing down every crack and alleyway before returning to darkness as the vehcle headed on. Subzero waited a moment behind the wall, fingering the blood that was on his face. Already it seemed dry and hardened like a black scab, he peeled it off of his cheek to find a red rash where the blood had been. It itched like a sore, quickly learning that this blood was not good for him he got as much as he could off of his clothes and the rest of his body. His hands itched and he had nothing to wash them in. He tried the cleanest puddel he could find in the darkness, but they seemed only to make them more dirty and continue the itching further into his hands and his wrists. A voice spoke in the darkness and he looked up suddenly afraid of what his eyes might meet.  
  
"Lookin for something?" it whispered dangerously. A blade gleamed in the shadows.  
  
"I was just trying to wash my hands, have mercy Oni" he replied quietly the orange skies reflecting in his eyes.  
  
The creature lauthed "I am no Oni you fool. It is rare that I find a mortal in these parts of the city... why don't you sell me your soul?"  
  
Subzero backed off slowly "No thanks, I kinda need it" he replied quietly  
  
"Why do you need it? You look pretty healthy to me, if you sell me your soul I can get you out of this place. By the looks of it I can see that you don't want to be here"  
  
"I said no thanks" replied Subzero standing to his feet.  
  
"No I insist" continued the voice in a soft dangerous whisper, it moved round him suddenly so that he had his back to the alleyway. It was deadly fast, so quick he hadn't even had time to respond. It was standing on the pavement, he could see it now. A huge muscly humanoid with horns sticking out of the shoudlers, a thin body and chest covered by netting that revealed many scars and wounds inside. One was still open, he could see part of the lung beating inside. The face was grizzly, huge red lips covered most of the head, horns had grown out too far covering the tiny eyes almost completely, both ears had been ripped several times. What was worse of all is that the thing stood almost one and a half times taller than Subzero and it held a large knife in its huge clawed hands.  
  
"Come on... a soul isn't worth that much. Let me give you something in return..." the voice was low and wet like slime, it came from the hige lips that seemed to want to grip him and suck everything that he had in him out of him.  
  
"I don't want to sell my soul" replied Subzero not backing off an inch.  
  
The huge lips creased into a smile "I can take it by force you know" it whispered. Blood he could see now was dripping slowly out of the mouth. A large droplet pusated a moment before dropping down into a murky pool below.  
  
"I'm well armed" replied Subzero.  
  
"So am I" laughed the demon "We enjoy a struggle"  
  
He could see them now, more dark shapes came out of the shadows towards him. Ten of them in all, each of them with their own hideous shapes. Most of them in some way resembled humans but some of the creatures were so far beyond human shape at all that they could only be described as alien forms.  
  
"We want your soul... now what do you want in return?" whispered a sluggish voice from the darkness "We need your soul... its all we want" said another higher voice like a witch or hag yet with that same rasping tired quality as if all happiness and hope had been sucked out of the creatures.  
  
Subzero had had enough. He couldn't take on all of them at once and every single one of them was taller than he was, stronger than he was and was armed with weapons he couldn't possibly comprehend. Turning he ran away into the darkness. Through the alleyways he heard the shouts behind him as the demons followed. He could hear the steps behind him. His foot slipped a moment in a puddle and he almost fell. It became deeper and slowed him down the water spraying into the air as his feet passed through them. The huge demons passed through the puddel with ease, he didn't dare to look back for if he had, he would have seen them cross through the water as if it were foam.  
  
Soon a wall loomed up closer to him in the darkness. He would try and climb it, this seemed hopeless but it was his only chance. But before for he could even attempt the climb a shape flashed in front of him in the darkness. A metal foot glinted on the floor and he tripped flying head over heels he landed against some dust bins "I got him!" screemed a demon "I got him! It was me!" The demons approached and stopped just in front of him contained by the power of their leader the huge lipped creature, it smacked the metal footed creature to the back and snarled at it before turning back to the fallen Subzero. Its control over the rest of the pack was strong, his very actions held them back. Yet one wrong move on his part and they would all turn on him. These were pack laws, yet so much darker than the ones of earth. They contained no love, or freedom. They were all prisoners of that one dark realm.  
  
"We've got him boys" said the lipped figure, blood dripping down its face like drool "We'll have full bellies tonight... lets feast"  
  
He heard their foot steps coming towards him and he closed his eyes in dread... there was a quiet thud. And Subzero squinted his eyes waiting for the blow to come, his body was tense. The sound was next to him, yet nothing happened. He shoudler felt wet against the ground. Gazing up slowly he looked across the black shapes of the demons in the darkness. Their faces showed fear, they were terrified, they backed off at once. What had happened that could terrify a beast of the Neatherealm?  
  
"Have merci Oni" they whispered. There was a dark shape in front of Subzero, it walked forward slowly and looked at the red lipped leader. It was shorter than the demons all of them, much the same height as Subzero himself. Yet the body was as black as night. It was darker still like a vortex of shadow. It was not possible to describe how dark that body was.  
  
"Bloodfeed I think isn't it?" said a cold emotionless voice "Or whatever pathetic name you've called yourself since we last met"  
  
"Have merci Oni" whispered the lipped creature stuttering and quivering with dread  
  
"And pray what have you caught today, let me look over it a while before I let you destroy it... I am intrigued to see what you've caught"  
  
The black shadow turned towards him suddenly and gazed with piercing blue eyes at his blood stained face. The eyes were like ghosts bouring into him, Subzero gazed back helpless and terrified.  
  
"A mortal?" muttered the shadow quietly to himself, he turned suddenly to the lipped creature "What are you doing with a mortal Bloodfeed?"  
  
"Have mercy Oni, we found it skulking about the city streets, we only wanted to play with it for a bit before we took its soul... its not often master that we find such a catch"  
  
The shadow turned back suddenly to Subzero, the darkness like with the demon on the roof top seemed to spread out making everything arround him darker. He gazed down at Subzero with blue eyes that seemed to be the only light coming from that all consuming darkness. Yet they were like mosquitoes, and seemed to draw in much more other freindly things than the cold light that they gave out.  
  
"Can you speak mortal?" asked the shadow  
  
"Have mercy Oni" whimpered Subzero quietly  
  
"What are you doing here?" interrorgated the shadow again after it realised that Subzero in his current state wasn't going to say anything unless he coaxed it out of him.  
  
"I was told to bring this card to a Oni named Noobsaibot" Subzero said weakly withdrawing the blue card. The shadow snatched it away and gazed over the inscription. Again he turned to Bloodfeed with a cold air "You didn't realise it seems that this mortal is under my protection?"  
  
"Have merci Oni!" ,whimpered Bloodfeed backing off "I never knew honest! Please spare me General! Don't kill me again like you did last time!"  
  
"Don't worry... I won't kill you" said the shadow again, never once did the tone of voice change in a highly noticable way. It always stayed at the same cold level of speach, never flickering with fear, with joy or with anger "But perhaps your freinds might think differently of my mercy"  
  
In a second the black shadow outstretched a hand forward, he pointed it at Bloodfeed's legs. They inploded and the creature screamed in pain falling to the floor. The legs swelled bubbling up before bursting with flesh and blood to reveal the bones themselves inside.  
  
"As you promised... your minions will have full bellies tonight"  
  
They licked their lips turning on him slowly they circled round, they edged towards him in his painful stupor.  
  
"Please No!" screamed the large lips spitting blood across the floor. The iron legged minnion spoke in a whisper as the blood drained out of his body "Not so hot now are you bloodfeed? Always knocking me aside..."  
  
"Yesss" said the Hag "How does it feel to be on the end of your own blows?" and suddenly they set upon him with claws and teeth tearing his body apart. Flesh and gore went scattering across the walls and his voice howled in an unearthly scream as his own minions devoured his body, searching for what little soul was left inside of it. The shadow turned to Subzero slowly with not a flinch in movement. It outstretched a single hand "Come ally, it seems you are lucky presently... for what luck there is in this realm you are lucky to receive some"  
  
A black portal appeared in the wall and Subzero took the shadow hand in his own. The black shape pulled him to his feet. The hand felt cold, and it seemed to touch him somwhere else stronger. He felt the presence of the hand on his own much stronger, on the wall where his own shadow lay. The experiance was much stranger than he would ever have expected. Together they entered the portal and with a flicker it closed to the unearthly screams of Bloodfeed. 


	10. The Black General

Chapter10: The Black General  
  
The darkness parted and they were swirling through a black vortex. The shadow creature walked on as he passed through the swirling darkness but Subzero had to run to catch up to those slow steps. If he was left behind he would die for sure left by himself in that place inbetween the worlds. The shadows swirled around him and he focused his eyes always on the dark shape ahead of him. Although the shadows arround them were dark, the Oni was always darker. It was like being in complete and utter darkness, yet one patch of dark shines out, its has gone further the other way. So dark that the darkness it gives out forms its own light in its lack of it.  
  
Slowly the darkness passed away into a large dim litted court. It was almost pitch black here as well, but the shadows this time seemed in comparison like the sun had come out. They were still in the Neatherealm that was for sure. He could see the orange light creeping in through the square windows. Some kind of castle. The shadows passed away, and Noobsaibot turned slowly the eyes seeming to appear as he turned round. They were in a hallway with large black pillars moving up towards the ceiling.  
  
"Please... have a seat" gestured Noobsaibot. Subzero was about to reply that he didn't have a seat with him or did not know where the fuck to find one when a blow hit him in the thighs and he fell backwards into a black chair. Metal straps closed round his wrists suddenly and trapped him in place. He struggled from side to side, and knew that his doom had caught up with him. He would never leave this place alive.  
  
"Subzero isn't it?" said the shadow stepping forward. It crossed its arms and looked down at him with a glare.  
  
"Have Merci Oni, Subzero is my name"  
  
"For the conveniance of this conversation you will now drop that formality" said the Oni turning away. He walked back across the stone his footsteps making no sound on the dark surface. Subzero tested the metal that held his hands in place. He might be able to break it with his icy hands, yet not while this demon was here watching him. That would be fatal.  
  
"Do you know who I am?" said the Oni still facing away from him. It was looking down on him... he hated that, but then again it had the power to do so.  
  
"No" he replied as best as he could trying to calm down his own rising fear. He needed to get back to being the calm confident Lin kuei warrior he always used to be and had been until he had come to this acursed place. Other wise he'd have no chance of getting away from this thing, this creature from the Abyss.  
  
"I am General Noobsaibot, High Oni and master of the Brothers of the Shadow. I am the servant of the Dark God Shinnoch, I know exactly what you've done mortal... Subzero, you are the one who defeated the four elements"  
  
Subzero sat still, he did not reply. He couldn't tell what this creature whatever it was was thinking, or what it could possibly expect of him. Did it know of his mission? That it had changed now instead to attack his origional employer?  
  
"Don't even think of getting away from this place... the brothers of the shadow never sleep, they guard this castle night and day and kill any they find within these walls. None enter the dark confines of my tower without my permission"  
  
"Why have you brought me here?" asked Suzero after ahwile. He had picked up what little confidence had survived the Neatherealm so far and summoned it into his voice. His blue clothes were stained with blood and oily muck. His eyes looked blood shot and tired, yet he still had the fight in him.  
  
"That's a good question... what do I care for you? A pathetic mortal, but then again Subzero you are not just any mortal. The black book mentions your name 'The Cold One'. As much as it may seem that I would have great reason to enjoy your company Cold One, in truth I do not"  
  
"Why's that?" asked Subzero pensively.  
  
"You helped Quan chi get what he wanted... within a couple of nights the portal will open and the black forces of hell will invade the Earth Realm"  
  
"Surely you, an Oni would want that?" ,questioned Subzero "Don't you enjoy the destruction that would come of it?"  
  
Noobsaibot was quiet a moment. He walked up and down a few paces back and forth across the pillars. His dark body dissapered amongst them a moment and he'd come out further away or closer in the darkness. He seemed to teleport now and again, and you'd never be quite sure where he would end up next. Suddenly he was right in front of Subzero gazing down he gripped the blue assassin by the neck and squeezed "You Think that I one of the oldest and loyal of Oni would want to help a Fallen Angel? You think that I Noobsaibot General of the Brothers of the shadow enjoy what he has done to this realm? That fool, that idiot, that insult to chaos. He has changed the hell pits into a pathetic model of the earthrealm, he is obsessed with that stinking world of neutrality and all he desires is to rule it for his own ends. He is no servant of chaos! No ruler of hell! He is a fool, an imobcile and I curse him in the name of Satan! There is only one dark god of this realm mortal and he is dead! Lucifer is the lord of all evil, that or another Oni capable of ruling these hell swarms... but Shinnoch... Shinnoch a fallen angle is not capable of ruling us. Never before have we been so week, the sky itself wants to crush us and start anew, this realm wants to sweep us all away because of that fool. Because of that pathetic ruler, that stain of goodness... I can see it in him. His angel hereditary, his look, the way he moves so gracefully... I hate him, I hate everything about him. I hate it more than I hate any of your gods or elder gods or good gods, I hate him so much that when I finnaly get my hands on him I shall keep him forever in this castle to torture for eternity and oh how I shall enjoy it! I shall put him through imeasurable pain! Every day I shall take him to pieces bit by bit, over the years, over the centuries over the milenia until he is so weakened and wretched that there will be nothing left, not even his soul. No dark god was ever supposed to leave the Neatherealm. This is the place where the dark god should rule and remain, and this realm was where Lucifer should be ruling now! He has ruined everything! And oh Subzero if only you could possibly comprehend how much I long to destroy him! The equal librium of the world should never be undone like this, the pits of the Neatherealm were never supposed to be joined with that of the earth realm. The Elder gods will frown upon us, the Earth realm itself will crush itself like our own realm is trying to do. He is ignorant of the truth, ignorant that there is so many of us that hate him. The younger Oni of cource... they worship him, but we the older generation. The ones who remember Lucifer and remember his predecessors, we loath him and seek to destroy him forever. How dare he a fallen angle come to our realm and rule as dark god over all the pits! HOW DARE HE!"  
  
The final words ran up the walls quivering the pillars and causing rocks and stones to fall down onto the stone floor below. Noobsaibot released his grip and turned away, walking away towards the end of the hallway he came to a large black alter. He rested his black hands on the surface and Subzero gasped for breath.  
  
"You Subzero... what you have done... I can never forgive. I will first make an amend to your crimes. Have you ever felt pain Subzero unamaginable pain?"  
  
Subzero's throat was sore and hurt where the cold hands had singed it, but he got the words out slowly through withdrawn slow breaths "I came back to stop him" he whispered. Noobsaibot turned slowly and looked at him with cold blue eyes "You what?"  
  
"I said" spat Subzero cougthing from the grip and tightening his fists under the metal manicles "I came here to stop Quan chi from giving Shinnoch the amulet. Raiden sent me. I am to find them both and stop this distaster from ever happening"  
  
"You?" lauthed Noobsaibot quietly "What could you possibly do?"  
  
"I've killed gods before, I know what its like..."  
  
"And you have never battled with lord Shinnoch before ... heh even his pathetic sorceror Quan chi would be a match for you"  
  
"Quan chi tricked me... he said he'd reward me when my job was done. I have received no reward, and I am bound by my own law and my clans law for revenge"  
  
"How fitting" chuckled Noobsaibot turning away from the alter, he decended the steps again, he stood opposite Subzero only a few meteres away "But then again..." he paused "It has its charm to it... and the book... there is a chance"  
  
"Whatever chance you give me General Noobsaibot I would gladly take it to any of your tortures"  
  
"Are you sure mortal?" said Noobsaibot slowly "Shinnoch's fortress lies across the bridge of imortality, it is guarded strongly be the brothers of the shadow, who in the event of a full frontal attack from yourself; I would have no power to draw them back. Even if you entered the fortress itself, you would have to contend with the Black Guard, the powerful priests who have since time begun guarded the rulers of hell. You would have to defeat each of Quan chi's three personal assassins in Mortal Kombat, in the old ways. Then, you would have to journy to the teleporter where using the crystals of the three assassins you could teleport to the throne room where you would have to battle with first the sorceror Quan chi and then likely the dark god Shinnoch himself. Your only chance would be to take the amulet from Quan chi's neck before he realised what had happened, and even then it is your job to get out and stop him from taking the amulet back from you and giving it to his master Shinnoch"  
  
"What does Shinnoch look like?" asked Subzero after a long wait.  
  
"He takes the form of a human when he is amused as he usually is... when he is angry, he takes the form of an Oni, pray that you do not meet him when he is angry"  
  
"Will you help me General?" pleaded Subzero "Will you help me stop what has been started?"  
  
"I cannot go anywhere near the sea of imortality. The forces of that sea would drag me down into the depths by force and consume me. You however, a mortal are protected temporarily from that fate. In your mortal shell the powers over the undead that Quan chi and Shinnoch hold over you are null. Yet they have plenty of other skills to deal with you"  
  
"Where should I go? How can I get to the bridge of imortality?"  
  
Noobsaibot stood still and was quiet for a long while. He seemed to think and the blue eyes narrowed while he went through a hoast of dark projects that he must have had in mind.  
  
"If you are going to fight a god" he said after a long while "You must at least have the powers of one. Raiden sent you did he? Pity he didn't realise that you'd be ripped to shreds in this realm as soon as you entered..." Noobsaibot slowly turning he walked again away from the Lin kuei warrior. He stopped facing the alter "You must seek the Urn of Strength. The seal to the sea of imortality is guarded by the powers of a large statue that in these times takes the form of Shinnoch in his human form. The Urn is nearby that statue, and once claimed you can drink from the Urn and gain superhuman strength for a short time. Anything drunk from the Urn will give you incredible strength, but it is guarded well by an Oni called Nazdrak master of the Prison of Souls"  
  
"What does he look like?"  
  
"He is more machine than demon, a circular saw is attached to his right arm, that he uses without mercy. It could easily cleave you in two, however he is a weaker Oni, and it is possible for you to destroy him with relative ease"  
  
"Then what?" questioned Subzero  
  
"Then you must find the Urn and take it to the Statue. Break down the statue and enter into the sea of imortality. Cross the bridge, enter Shinnoch's fortress, kill Quan chi's three assassins, take their crystals by force, use the teleporter to get to the throne room, defeat Quan chi and take his pathetic master's amulet from him. If you fight the god Shinnoch, do not try and anger him. He may toy with you ahwile before he kills you, if this is the case it will give you more chance to act"  
  
"Thanks" said Subzero sarcastically "How do I get to this prison of souls?"  
  
"I can teleport you there. I often have to go there myself to speak to tortured souls and prepare for this 'invasion' that Shinnoch wants so desperately. He wants three million troops... you'd better suceed Subzero or die trying because otherwise I'll tear your soul apart"  
  
"What now?" said Subzero trying as best as he could with his middle fingers to scratch the palm of his hands, but this was difficult being trapped down by the metal. He wasn't bored, meerly shattered and ready to drop of exhaustion.  
  
"You are in no state to fight now, and plus you stink of sweat and blood... the stenches of the city. You will need to take a bath, my priests will repair your clothes"  
  
"Do you have any throwing knives?"  
  
"You can have this" said Noobsaibot turning to the alter. Walking up to the dusty surface he took a small black pouch off and took it down the steps to Subzero. The metal suddenly released itself from his arms and Subzero rubbed his wrists thankfully. He took the pouch, undoing the string he looked inside "What is it?" he asked.  
  
"Death Needles. One of the presents Shinnoch sent me for my alliance after the death of Lucifer. They are enchanted with the powers of darkness. Upon impact of a demon, they will imiediately blind him, paralyse him within a minute, and slowly poison him dead with in five at most"  
  
"What about Mortals?"  
  
"I wouldn't concern yourself with that since you won't be meeting any. Just make sure you don't acidently puncture yourself... remember you're working for me now"  
  
Subzero took the bag warily and held it in his hands. He'd have to equip his costume with the needles later, and by the look of it there were pleanty of the things. The pouch was tougth made of a strange black leather to stop the things coming out.  
  
"Ah... here are my priests now. I will meet you once more today Subzero, and then I will likely never see you again. Do not fail me or your Thunder god, as neither of us will be very pleased with you when and if you return"  
  
The priests came from the darkness in a crowd, black robes shuffled across the floor. They lead Subzero away from the hallway where Noobsaibot stood, away down dark corridoors and dark circular steps in a long line he followed with one behind and him and one infront. Their hoods were filled with darkness, no face could be seen within like the door to the golem of the earth temple. But these hoods were different, it was really as if there were nothing withing. Just shadow and nothing else keeping up the black robes like a gust of wind.  
  
The bathing room was clean yet unnatural. The liquid was green, once he had undressed he tested it with his index finger. It was warm, he jumpped in a felt the stuff ooze round his skin.  
  
The healing effect it had on his body felt very disturbing as if the liquid was only doing its job because if it didn't it would be punished. It was not a natural process and it seemed as if the green water itself was alive in some way. Orange light came in through the square windows glittering across the circular pool's surface. The shapes of the priests were round the side of the room, reflecting in the pool below, and although he felt now much cleaner than before and more healthy, he felt most unnatural and out of place here with those priests gazing down at him.  
  
"Er... do you mind?" said Subzero after ahwile looking up at the shadow priests. Their dark hoods turned to him without a sound and they all stared at him "Do you mind if I have a bit of privacy while I bathe, possibly?"  
  
They walked slowly away without a trace of emotion or displeasure. They exited the room by double red doors that swung shut with a slam and echoed down the hallways and passageways of the corridoors. He was completely alone. He thought briefly of using the oppertunity to escape through the window, but the fact that the priests had taken his clothes with them to repair, and also the fact that it was a long way down, and the fact that he didn't really fancy trekking across the whole of the Neatherealm nakid drew him away from the action.  
  
The room was quiet, and less eery without the priests arround. In the distance he could hear far away screams and moans of torture. It seemed wherever he was in this realm he could hear noises of pain and noises of suffering. The water soothed round him cleaning and healing his bruises, curing the sores on his face and feet hands and wrists. He relaxed ahwile feeling completely cured of body if not of mind. He had seen unspeakable things, his thoughts themselves had been tarnished by the powers of the Neatherealm forever.  
  
Holding one finger in the air he cooled it glowing with blue ice. Slowly he decended it into the water hoping to make some kind of icy pattern on the surface. The water rumbled as he touched at and there was a scream from the surface. A demon in the shape of the green water jumpped out running across the surface, it hopped up splashing across the tiled floor and dived out of the square windows. Gawking a moment he looked back down at the water that seemed to quiver with fear. He got out very quickly drying himself down with a red towel. The water wobbled from side to side below and seemed to come close together round the edges as if it expected him to jump in again. He certainly didn't.  
  
After calling and waiting for a long time the priests came and gave him his clothes back. He dressed in a small furnished room near the bathing pool. It was filled with black chairs, pictures of fire and demons were on the walls with gazing eyes that followed you literally around the room. You could see the eyes moving as you moved. Clasping the bag he fitted one by one as many of the death needles as he could into his blue costume's hidden compartments. He found two of his old shurikens in the bottom and left them where they were. The rest in the bag he folded away amongst his other possessions. The clothing was completely repaired as if it were brand new. The blood and mud stains were all gone as if his whole ordeal had never happened. Yet his location reminded him strongly of the events that had happened and the events that were still to come, he could not even if he tried forget how he had come to be there.  
  
With a smile he remembered that he was as likely to die here as at any other time of his dangerous life, it soothed him a little. Except of cource he would rather die in his life than in the Neatherealm. He felt no joy in what he had to do, he was now being used as a puppet by Noobsaibot just as everyone else had used him. He was constantly serving the people who had the power to kill him. In a way he felt more at home in the Neatherealm in demon law then he ever did in the Earthrealm, yet he didn't want this to continue. Oneday he wanted to be his own master, go far away and retire and never see anything strange or unusual again. Boy had he had enough of that since this job began. It had turned out to be far far much more than he had ever bargained for. He had gone from one objective to another, and he wondered with grim suspicien whether anyone in the end would actually pay him at all for his hard work.  
  
The black door opened with a quiet shuffle and one of the black robed priests stood in the door way. Subzero knew what it wanted. It wanted him to come with him, he nodded and followed. Ascending steps they went up back passed the alter room and even higher still. They were ascending a tower passing doors as they went. Finnaly they came out on the roof, the priest Gestured to the Black General who stood resting against the battlements. With a flourish of black robing it turned and walked back down the steps. Subzero nodded looking out at the orange sky and city that stretched out into the horizon. He came slowly and stood beside the shadow Oni.  
  
They were both silent for a good few minutes. Only the wind seemed to make any noise at all. The orange sky itself seemed closer than ever on top of this tower, ready to fall and crush them as he had predicted. Noobsaibot pointed across the landscape to a glittering green sea far away over the city "That is the sea of imortality, you can just sea the top of the pyramid over the horizon"  
  
"Don't worry I remember what it looks like" replied Subzero "I saw it in my dreams after I destroyed each element"  
  
"I wondered how you escaped that fate" chided the shadow quietly "Quan chi gave you some help it seems from the little that he did" he paused again and pointed to a higher part of the city that ended next to the the sea of imortality "That is the prison of souls where the Urn of Strength is kept. When you get it... if it runs out, you will have to find more clean water to fill it with, that is rare in this realm, and I doubt you will find any at all. If I were you I would save what little water it has in it as much as possible, for the times that you need it"  
  
"I'll try my best" replied Subzero solemly  
  
Noobsaibot turned slowly and turned a fingered shadowy hand to the ground. A metal circle was embdedded in the tiles of the tower's roof. It took the shape of the symbol of the dragon that he had seen so many times amongst the temples of the past. It parted down the middle with a slow quiet sliding of stone. A platform came up from below with three large spikes shaped in a trinagular format arround the side. Each one was bent inwards in the middle inside of the circle they rose up into the air like a clawed hand.  
  
"Enter the circle and I'll send you to the prison of souls"  
  
Subzero did so and stood directly in the middle. Noobsaibot walked up to him slowly and outstretched his hand "Oh, before I send you off... take this" he handed him back the small blue card with the red demon symbol on the side "I found out how you got it. You're quite a devious little fellow Subzero, I can almost not hate you. I don't need it, its an Oni card and can work most devices arround the city and prison of souls. You may be able to fool some of my minions into not attacking you with it, but don't try it on the black guard. If they see you, they will not be mistaken, and will try to kill you"  
  
"Have merci Oni" replied Subzero cooly. The black shadow chuckled quietly to himself the blue eyes moving up and down, outstretching his hand there was a yellow glow of light and Subzero dissapered. Noobsaibot turned slowly and walked back over to the battlements. He would wait there, watching the horizon, until either the portal opened to the Earthrealm, or he heard the screams of the dark god and his imeasurable loss. 


	11. The Urn of Strength

Chapter11: The Urn of Strength  
  
Subzero appeared in a round circular metalic room. A soldier turned towards him suddenly and pointed a spear forward "You!" it shouted "What are you doing here!"  
  
The armor was purple, and the spear looked strange with some kind of gem at the end. The other end was sharp so presumably he should have held it the other way up? The eyes were red and the face black skinned with a deeply red mouth when it opened like a rabied dog in water.  
  
"I've been sent by Noobsaibot to visit Nazdrak the prison warder"  
  
The soldier squinted at him "Nazdrak doesn't take visits from people who are not Oni's. And Noobsaibot would not have sent a mortal to see him either, now what are you going here!"  
  
"If you don't believe me" replied Subzero coldly "Then Noobsaibot sais he's going to find you, take you back to his castle whoever the person is... and torture them for eternity"  
  
The guard backed off a moment but then set his spear forward again. He squinted at Subzero looking him up and down slowly "I know who you are..." he murmered dangerously after pause "You're Subzero, the one Quan chi hired... you're not supposed to be here get out!" he cringed in pain a moment as a needle punctured his shoulder "My eyes! What did you do to my eyes!" he shouted the voice seemed strange as if under a sythasiser or being played through a piece of machinary. Pointing the spear forward in the wrong direction a green bolt shot out and exploded against the wall.  
  
Swiftly Subzero dodged ran forward hopping lightly through the air he kicked the soldier twice in mid air knocking him and his weapon to the ground.  
  
"My eyes!" he screemed and lying on the floor he began to convulse suddenly shudering from side to side. Stepping on his stomach Subzero pulled the dart out and stepped back quickly. The mouth started to foam and blood started pouring down the arms and out of his shoes. He panted raspingly shaking from side to side with moans and cries of pain. His stomach rose slowly but tremendously in height. He crooked his head from side to side the eyes rolling. Subzero backflipped away and crouched against the metalic wall. The soldier exploded like a bubble of tomato juice, the metalic armor pried apart like a blown up tincan the messy interior was left with ribs and bits of bones sticking out of the burned flesh giving the room a fleshy toxic smell. Subzero almost puked, ducking round the body he opened the door with both hands trying not to breath in the air and exited to the high platforms of the prison.  
  
The door closed softly behind him with a metalic hiss and again he felt what it was like to be so high up in the air, he tried to forget as best as he could what had just happened. Evidently Noobsaibot hadn't been kidding when he had said "Death Needles". They did more than that, they should have been called combustion needles or "obliteration needles". Death was an understatement, what these things did to people, was painful scary disgusting and a slow horrid death. Looking at then at the one he held in his hands he shuddered. Should he really use these things? These were demons after all, and he was using demonic weapons against their own... but did anything deserve to be put through such a demise?  
  
However he realised that he had no choice, what else could he use to inflict damage upon enemies not counting his powers over ice? He had the two Lin kuei shurikens left, but he couldn't rely just on that and his own talent. His icy powers were noisy, he'd have to keep on using these demonic needles until he found something better. But was there anything better? Unless of of cource the Urn of strength was all it was cracked up to be.  
  
In front of him hammers slammed much closer to him this time than before, yet there was nobody arround. The Brothers of the shadow must have been in a meeting or something, or had been called to another part of the complex. How could he tell what went on in the minds of demons? Noobsaibot had proved him wrong in his suspiciens that all demons lived for destruction alone. Their forms varied and it seemed some could change at will like Shinnoch himself.  
  
At least now he thought his objectives at least were simple, all he had to do was find this Urn of strength and escape with it to the statue of Shinnoch. The only problem was the hammers. The ground trembled more as he got closer and boy were those hammers big. They were based on platforms to his left and right that he couldn't reach unless he jumped across. Or of cource he could try the desperate ice slide through air that he had tried on the water god. But he had no intention of getting to the hammer's base so he didn't bother, the idea was getting passed the hammers.  
  
He stood a meter away and watched as the huge hammer slammed down on the platform where he would have to pass underneath. Everytime it hit the floor he felt the vibration on the platform beneath him. The Hammer was taller than he was, wider than he was and abolutely solid stone or whatever strange matirial it was made out of. It wouldn't just crush him or wound him, it would completely and utterly kill him. It would flatten him like a pan cake. The other danger was that he had to make sure he didn't run passed one hammer to be squashed by another one.  
  
"Just like in the earth temple" he whispered quietly to himself, he rubbed his hands together in readiness. The hammer came down and as it rose he hopped forward and stood still as the second one crashed down in front of him. It filled him with fear, it was almost right next to his face. It arose slowly and he hopped forward again to meet another coming down. He stopped dead still watching the stone that remained stationary on the platform in front of him. It rose like the others and he jumpped forward with no more hammers to go. He heard the crash behind him as the ones he had passed under landed one by one. He had gotten past yet another hazard he beamed inwardly that he was still alive. He wondered grimly whether the brothers of the shadow also took this route through the hammers? Did they have a tactic? Or more importatly did they have a way to switch the hammers off? If they couldn't turn them on and had to pass through this way often, Subzero wondered how many casualties they received among their numbers.  
  
It might explain the absence of their numbers at least. So far he had only encountered one whom he had killed in an extremely nasty fashion.  
  
The platform up ahead was empty. It went streight on past large water cooling buildings. He felt strong and confident from getting through the hammers and decided to run. There were no hammers here; no nothing. No dangers for a long way into the distance. He could see more hammers slamming down far off, but it would take him ahwile to reach them. The buildings were passing him by from both sides when suddenly he noticed something strange. An unusually large shadow was coming out of the building to his left and worryingly at that moment he was running through it.  
  
He took a powerful blow to the back and slumpped to the ground. A voice above laughed with an electronic tinge to it. It was deep like the sound of moving pistons and steel. He moved his head round to gaze upon the creature. A circular saw attached to the right hand, huge metalic body and a head piece that was shaped in resemblance to a skull. Wires were plugged here and there, this was Nazdrak, yet already it seemed he had lost as Noobsaibot had said he might. Two soldiers came out of the shadows they looked down through red bloody eyes down on Subzero. They poked him with the butt end of their spears and he cowered on the ground in defeat, the blood rushing to his head he lost conciousness. The blow had hit him much harder than he had thought. The pain spread down his back and the rest of his body as they took him away. In all likely events, to his demise.  
  
When Subzero finnaly awoke he was in virtually complete darkness. The orange sky outside came in through those same linear square windows that he now asociated with the Neatheralm like cutlery to a table. He felt his back up and down. There should have been a huge bruise but instead there was nothing. Something or other had healed him while he slept, there was no longer any pain. Evidently they wanted him for questioning. He checked his clothing. He was still wearing the blue silk cotume, the black line went down his torso like a tie as it always had done. The padding was seperated by small black lines, and his wrist guards were still intact.  
  
Feeling into the pockets of his clothes, he found the death needles. The bag was still in place, and he also found the blue card he had received from first the unnamed demon and then Noobsaibot himself. He almost laugthed out loud. They were idiots, they had left him with all of his weapons intact, with his hands untied and still potent with icy power, they had healed him and now he was ready as ever to escape. It seemed ludicrous that they could possibly have been so insanely stupid.  
  
"Escape is futile" laughed a voice in the darkness. Turning he saw a shape in the far corner of the room. A man human in shape stood with a strange red hat, his face was pale like Quan chi's as if all the life had been sucked out of it. Yet the voice was different and the clothing as well suggested of other roots.  
  
"Who are you?" demmanded Subzero advancing forward on his roomate.  
  
"A lost soul" replied the voice. Subzero groaned standing still he turned around and walking over to the metalic door he rested his hands on the door and sighed deeply "Where would you escape to?" continued the old man "If you are here then you must belong here... rejected from your own realm no doubt"  
  
"I wasn't rejected" wheezed Subzero leaning both hands forward he gazed at the metalic floor wondering what the heck he was supposed to be doing with his life "I was sent here"  
  
"No matter" chuckled the old man leaning back into the darkness like a animal on the hunt "Rejected or sent, you couldn't exist here unless your soul contained the impurities of evil"  
  
"Haven't you ever tried to escape old man?" asked Subzero slowly gazing at the door. He turned to the shape in the darkness and waited for the answer.  
  
"Escape?" taunted the man amused "Oh I'll be leaving this realm shortly... but first I must play Raiden's game"  
  
"You know Raiden!" said Subzero turning to face him with a gasp. But there was nothing there, only darkness. The man had completely dissapered whoever he was. Probably some kind of strange Oni journying across the Neatherealm, enjoying taunting prisoners. Subzero himself had no clue who it had been and right now he didn't really care either. He grunted and came slowly up to the door still pessemistic of his surival in this place. Yet he felt bolstered by the old man who had given him anger. He'd show that Oni that he wasn't just any old mortal.  
  
Like the one he had opened when he had first entered the Neatherealm, this door was also bent in the middle. It rose out away from him and then bending its metal plating moved towards him and up to the diagonal roof.  
  
These were evidently some kind of holding cells where prisoners could be left to rot, or wait expecting their tortures. For some reason they hadn't killed him, which meant that they probably knew who he was, that or the curiosity of seeing a mortal in amongst their own kind had confused them somehow. Had they found the dead brother of the shadow? And if they had would they have really cared anyway? This was hell after all, these beings had no mercy. If something died, then it was either dead or it would have the strength of will to return again to life. What did it matter to them whether one minion died horribly and painfully at the hands of an assassin? If they'd had the chance they probably would have stayed and watched, thus was their hellish philosophy. There is no pleasure in hell that does not bare a price, it must be taken at the cost of others...  
  
He placed his hands on the metalic door and waited. It did not open, he banged his hands on the door and still nothing happened "Shut up you wretch!" ,roared a voice from outside "Or face my wrath"  
  
Subzero stopped remaining silent he looked the door up and down. He gazed round the room, this was the only exit and entrance. He could of cource wait until one of the guards came in to collect or torture him... but that guard would most likely in all events be Nazdrak himself as he Subzero would be classed as such a high priority. Fighting Nazdrak in this room didn't seem like a good idea, as it was close and claustraphobic, and also Nazdrak would expect to find him here. It wouldn't be long he pondered that Quan chi would find out about his existance in the Neatherealm. This he feared more than anything else, if this happened then the Bridge of Imortality could be barricaded or worse. It was only a matter of time before Nazdrak figured out who and what he was, and then he'd send off a message to Quan chi and the game would likely be up.  
  
Searching around the sides of the door he found a computer similar to the one he had found on the yellow elevator. As before it had a key card slot hole to it. He checked his pockets. Withdrawing the blue card he looked at the computer slowly before swiping. The computer clicked, and green code went up the sides...  
  
The guard watched out across the horizon. The hammers crashed down in the distance smashing against the platforms. He could see others of his kind and in the distance, small winged fiends fluttered across the sky slowly like seagulls. Moans and screams sounded out in the distance as all over hell lost souls and the dammed were tortured. The guard took some pleasure out of this gazing out with red blood shot eyes. It was so marvelous, so much pain... so much misery.  
  
He couldn't wait to see what they did to the prisoner in the cell behind him. They had brought him in, a mortal in amongst their own prison, amongst their own ranks. Never before had anyone gotten in past security without being caught, certainly not a mortal. Yet he'd seen mortals before in the prison of souls. They were always the most highly guarded; because they had entered the Neatherealm of their own accord or someone elses actions during their life times. They lasted a lot longer through the intense torture sessions. It filled him with satisfaction to see something so full of life dwindle and die, to see the soul come out of the body to be tortured again and again for eternity. To see the hope in their eyes flicker and decay. His thoughts were crushed a moment as a noise behind him startled him and he looked round. The metal door had opened sliding aside the darkness inside loomed out like a curtain.  
  
He peered in just outside of the doorway, clutching the black gun in his hands. It was a large cylindrical thing much like a bazooka. It was designed to take down spirits and demons, but its destructive explosive nature would take out this mortal easy enough. What should he do? Should he call for help or destroy the mortal? If he destroyed it would he be in trouble? No, Nazrak surely would enjoy the news that the mortal had died in his cell than hear that he had escaped. Also it would save him the bother of imforming Quan chi of the mortals existance. Shinnoch himself would be very displeased to learn that a mortal had entered the prison without being detected, so why bother telling them? He himself could remove the problem and earn the favour of his superiors. He entered cautiously looking about him across the dark metalic walls. An orange glow came in from the square window and caught his purple armor glimmering it in the darkness.  
  
He stopped in the centre of the room warily his blood red eyes picking up everything arround him. The room was dark, and he couldn't see a thing. The mortal was nowhere to be seen. Where had he gone? Suddenly he felt a pain in his shoulder and his vision faded with imense pain from light to black. He cried out in pain his voice with that strange sythesiser like sound echoing round the room, he clutched his shoulder. Taking the gun in his hands he fired round the room in all directions. Explosions reared out as the pain inside of him intenseified. He could feel something metal embedded in his shoulder but couldn't see what it was, and from that point he felt the pain extending out into his own body.  
  
He colapsed to the floor dropping the gun with great spasms, and finnaly with a last drawing breath just as the other had, he exploded pieces of flesh flying in all directions. Smoke and fire were round the edges of the room and Subzero cougthed as the smoke reached his nostrils. Dropping from the chains above that were attached to the ceiling he landed with easy feet in a pool of blood. It splashed out arround him as he walked passed the smoky carcase. The needle was disgusting, it was the same one he had used on the other guard, yet still it was intact. Grudgingly he remembered what they were: Death needles. They were probably the only set in the whole of hell. A present from Shinnoch to Noobsaibot. Bending down he picked it carefully out of a lump of brain and shoulder blade, cougthing on the fumes he wiped it off on the ground and ran out holding it with two fingers.  
  
Placing the needle on the ground outside he took a deep breath and ran back inside again. The smoke issued out of the metalic building like a fog and when he came out carrying the gun, it had slighltly blackend his face and costume, so that in a strange way he slightly resembled Smoke.  
  
He wiped the needle off as best as he could on the stone walkway and deposited it back in its place. The needle stank and he could smell it even when he had put it away, but he just had to retreave the thing. He'd never seen a throwing weapon so deadly in all his life. The poison that was used in the thing was incredible. It was death to anyone it wounded. Holding the black gun in both hands he continued on his path through the prison of souls. This time he was more wary of enemies creeping out at him from the shadows. It was the way Scorpion had tried to use on him to gain the advantage and it had very nearly worked as well. It was the way monks had attacked him in the temple and it was the way Nazdrak himself had taken him out. How could a machine almost twice as tall as he was with circular saw possibly out steal a Lin kuei assassin such as himself? He presumed the Oni must have turned the saw off, and the rest was just up to waiting. But how had it known he was passing that way?  
  
The Neatherealm was a confusing place. Never the less he would be ready for Nazdrak this time, and plus he had a weapon. The Urn itself would presumably be on the highest level of the prison. That would be his priority search anyway. Searchlights were moving across some of the platforms, but they were easy to bypass. He hopped easily behind and inbetween the glowing lights yet he could see no soldiers to contend with. Where had they all gone to?  
  
Suddenly it hit him... what if they had been called into the Fortress? Didn't it seem likely in all events that that's what Quan chi or Shinnoch would order? Presumably Quan chi wanted nothing to interfere with the process. But what Subzero didn't understand is why it had taken Quan chi so long to return the amulet to Shinnoch. He must have had his reasons... maybe he was also being devious as well in some way against his own god? Subzero wouldn't put it passed that "pale faced rat".  
  
Coming to a large metalic building he stopped still in his tracks. He could hear a noise from inside. There were voices speaking, one in anger one in contained fury.  
  
"Let me passed ... I cannot stand it anymore" roared the voice, electronically sounded it had a buzz to every sylable "Get out of my way"  
  
"If you have a problem with the King of darkness then you should speak to him yourself" ,replied the other "You are not aloud to touch the Urn, it is the property of Lord Shinnoch"  
  
"I don't care who's property it is" returned the other, the sound of a buzzing saw sounded. Subzero pressing his hands on the door waited until it opened. They were in a circular dark room where at the back was a glowing Urn upon a stone pedestal. Nazdrak was there gazing over the shoulders of three red leged men with black pointed beards. Their chests were bare and their shoes were black, each looked seriously intent on stopping the huge machine from coming any closer.  
  
"I sware" roared Nazdrak "That if you don't move now, I'll cut you in two"  
  
They replied in unison three at the time "The Black Guard does not take orders from anyone but the lord of all hell himself"  
  
Nazdrak lifted the saw into the air before suddenly one of the red legged men pointed to the doorway where Subzero stood "Mortal!" he shouted "What are you doing here!"  
  
There was silence and Nazdrak's saw stopped moving. He stompped slowly round to face Subzero his skull face looking infuriate this time rather than the pleasure it had shown at seeing Subzero fall unconcious.  
  
"The next person who calls me 'mortal'" said Subzero walking slowly and confidently into the room "Dies"  
  
Nazdrak gazed sideways at the priests and faced Subzero his skull frowning into hate "You!" it exclaimed with an electronic tinge "How did you escape?"  
  
"A tinhead like yourself doesn't have the right to ask that question" replied Subzero calmly "Perhaps next time you oil yourself you might want to add some brains to that box of yours then maybe you might at least wonder to check your victims for tools and weapons before you throw them in jail"  
  
"This is no time for our squabbling" said one of the black guard coming up beside Nazdrak "Forget the Urn, we'll take this mortal out together... ugh" the saw had penetrated him and drew blood deep into his heart and lungs it came out of the other side blood and organs going everywhere his eyes rolled as the saw spun through his insides. Nazdrak withdrew it confidently with a pleasuring curve in his skull like face "Fat chance you temple skum, we'll take this as a free for all you pathetic wretching coward"  
  
Turning with a roar Nazdrak stompped across the room charging at the other priest. The third and final one jumpped back in shock as the second priest cried out in shock as he was quickly decapitated. The third member of the black guard turned to Subzero running for the doorway he tried to get past the blue lin kuei. Firing once with the gun an orange flash of light sped out to the red legged priest. It hit him in centre, and with an explosive flash he sped out to the back of the room the bolt carrying him and exploded a whole through the metalic wall. Blood splattered everywhere as the hole in the roof let in the orange outside light.  
  
Nazdrak turned to Subzero with a face full of anger, his victim dropped to the ground blood and fluid leaking to the ground the saw still buzzed flying left over blood in all directions. It dripped down off of Nazdrak's face lining the skull socket eye balls of his face.  
  
"Come on then mortal ... now that these wretches are out of the way we can face each other off properly... I heard about you Subzero. The 'cold one' they call you, servant of Quan chi. Have you been sent to destroy me? Well here I am"  
  
"On the contrary" replied Subzero dropping the gun to the floor, it clanged smoke and gas coming out of the canister.  
  
"You're going to fight me without a weapon mortal?" chuckled Nazdrak  
  
"There's no need for us two to fight"  
  
"What do you mean?" spat Nazdrak taking a thundering step forward, the blade spinning was clean now, the blood droplets hung off of his huge body where they had been discarded by the blade. His foot stepped on a fallen priest's head and it was crushed like a walnut spurting yellow and red.  
  
"I mean, that I'm here to destroy Shinnoch as well. I've been sent by Noobsaibot to claim the Urn, cross the bridge of imortality and take back the amulet before Quan chi gives it to him"  
  
"Quan chi has the amulet?" gawked Nazdrak his face cringing into an unimaginable shape, it relaxed a little "So that's why he wanted my guards. I thought they were going to finnaly try and round up Leviathan... no matter, its too late for all that now. Your world is doomed mortal, its too late to change anything"  
  
"No its not" replied Subzero "I know what you're like Nazdrak, you hate Shinnoch in the same way that Noobsaibot does, you hate him for being an fallen angle, and for his relentless misuse of your realm. Nazdrak, now is the chance for the old demons to reunite. Allow me safe passage with the Urn and the use of some of your men and I shall defeat Quan chi and stop this maddness before its too late..."  
  
Nazdrak laughed out loud "No mortal I'm afraid you don't know what I'm like. And to mention Noobsaibot that wretch coming here and telling me what to do, I hate his guts the ungreatful sod, the Urn is mine mortal now that these guards are dead. I shall take it for myself and use it in the following chaos when the portal opens"  
  
"Do you not resent what Shinnoch has done?" asked Subzero trying desperately to find a weakpoint in his mind, a point that could turn the robot over to his side. But when the electronic voice replied it was sound and confident.  
  
"Of cource I hate him" replied Nazdrak taking another large step forward, the ground thundered shaking from side to side "But I do not fear him as Noobsaibot does. I only serve him because he quenches my thirst for blood and power. That's why I abandoned my demonic body for this. I don't care for you mortal or your petty quests, all I care for is true chaos"  
  
Leaping forward with a roar suddenly Subzero was completely taken by shock. He only just had enough sence to step away with a shudder. But Nazdrak wasn't aiming for him. Instead it brought its saw down on the gun carving it in half with a loud buzz, a small spark of fire leapt out from the barrel and the thing had become useless.  
  
"These pathetic weapons I have no use for ... come and take me as I am mortal"  
  
"I see you have a use for that circular saw of yours" commented Subzero sarcastically "I also would like to point out that you called me mortal... twice. And for that Oni, I must now destroy you"  
  
"I liked to see you tr..." leaping up Subzero kicked the Oni in the skull face sending it backwards it secured itself with the second foot. Both hands glowing he planted them firmly on Nazdrak's chest and polar blasted the machine. Sparks of electricity shot out in all directions, Subzero was stuck there for a moment electocuted he was frown back as the volts died down. The circular saw stopped and Nazdrak shuddered from side to side the breast plate wobbling it crackled still freezing "I'll ...get you ...for that" it stuttered sparks discharging on the stone floor. Lightning flickered with great cracks connecting with the iron girdled pillars that held the walkway up.  
  
The robot advanced shakily, the face had stopped moving and the body was blue and crackled. Subzero stood shakily to his feet he felt dizzy and swaying he almost fell off of the platform. He could hear the stomping noise of huge boots as slowy his vision cleared and he saw the robot in front of him charge towards him. The now motionless saw arked across horizontally. He ducked coming up again he backed off as a leg stompped out just missing his kneecaps. He would much rather have battled Nazdrak inside the room than out here on this narrow courseway. Backing off he backflipped out of the way of another blow from Nazdrak. Leaping up suddenly after the blow missed him he kicked the robot again in the head. The mask cracked down the middle and half of it fell hanging to the machinery inside the head by a thread. It dropped and clattered against the walk way before falling down towards the city below.  
  
Nazdraks voice sounded out again stuttery but still with that same electronic tint to it "Die!" he roared cleaving the air with the saw. Subzero backed off but just in time. The saw flayed across the very front of his chest ripping the fabric of his silk costume so that his skin could be seen through the rip. He realised now that in his weakened state he couldn't defeat Nazdrak. He should have been more carefull not to polar blast him so close at the beginning. The electric shock had been brief but any longer and it would have killed him. He didn't understand why it hadn't. A machine that big, the electric charge should have easily killed him but for some reason it hadn't and he was still alive. Raiden it seemed must have been keeping an eye out for him somewhere or other.  
  
What was worse still is that he could hear the hammers sounding out behind him. The half masked Nazdrak spoke again "Yes... can you hear the thundering of those hammers? Its your approaching doom Subzero"  
  
He advanced again and Subzero backed off. If only he could find away to get Nazdrak into the hammers? No it was impossible he thought again it wouldn't work. The blows flayed passed his face just missing him and he backflipped back again avoiding another blow. The sound of the crashes became louder and he didn't know how close to the hammers he actually was. An iron leg sweeped over his head as he ducked he kicked out at Nazdrak's feet. There was a clang and he cringed in pain as his foot scored only a slight dent in the metalic design. He backed off treading on the toes carefully his face red with the agony of his foot. Dodging again the pain gradually died down, but the crashes of the hammers became again louder.  
  
He had one chance... and that was to get away from this demon. Running away through the hammers with no timing was suicide and he knew it. That left one other direction. Ducking again a sweep of the saw he dived forward inbetween Nazdrak's legs freezing the ground he slid on his belly a little way coming out behind the beast. Getting to his feet he pegged it back towards the chambour. Nazdrak roared screaming it turned round with its half face and damaged breast plate and charged after Subzero with great bounding heavy steps.  
  
Subzero ran into the chambour and swiping his card across the computer the door closed slowly as Nazdrak thundered towards it. He hit the door with a clang and a huge dent appeared in the surface. Subzero didn't have time for it, instead he ran squelching over the human remains and blood to the pedestal where the Urn was kept "Noobsaibot, I just hope this Urn is all its wrapped up to be".  
  
It was a strange looking object, white with gold rims it looked nothing like a drinking cup or chalace at all. The white curved round in like a bulb of some kind of plant, fastening his fingers round the pointed top he pulled open the white metal to reveal water inside. He sipped just as Nazdrak's strong metalic arm crashed through the door, gripping it he ripped it out of its socket and flung it down to the city below. His half face gazed across at Subzero in shock, examining first the open Urn and then Subzero.  
  
He felt the strength moving through every part of his limbs like a hot bath only better. It filled him with energy he couldn't help smiling with pleasure as his arms seemed to frob with power. He legs itched with energy and he charged foward with a war cry. Nazdrak defended but it was not enough. Subzero's cold blow tore through the metal he dived smashing right through the robot he came out the other side. Metal and electricity flung everywhere as oil poured out of it inside. The electronic voice roared out in fury as the oil made a bright rainbow pool under its feet. A spark of lightning set the pool on fire and the robot bursed into crimson flames as the fire rose up its legs into the source of the oil desiring more. With huge ball of fire the robot staggered about as its chest and inside exploded. It slipped on its own burning remains crashed on the edge of the bridge and fell down towards the city below. Subzero watched as it crashed down on the prison buildings far below exploding in a huge ball of flame.  
  
There was only one thing left to do. Closing up the Urn he took it with him decending the ladders and lifts he came down into the back streets of lower city prisons. The demons crowded round but looking on him they had fear in their eyes. They could see the power that he held if not its authenticy.  
  
Coming to the edge of the city he came to the great statue of Shinnoch. It looked familiar as he gazed up its body from the robes to the strange hat that was on its head. It was strangely shaped like a bishop's with the top cut off. The stone was yellowy in texture and touching it with his hands it felt week to his now powerful knuckles. Stepping back to the gawking stares of the demons he charged forward and punched the statue with a direct blow. His fist felt no pain but the crack rose up from the feet and went up to the god's left eye as if he were crying in pain.  
  
The huge symbol of the dark god wobbled arround slowly and then suddenly all at once it fell with a huge crash that tremored through the ground for miles. Stepping up onto the statue he walked up it and over the crumbled black wall to the sea of imortality beyond. Behind him a cry from the demons sounded out through the air.  
  
"Shinnoch has lost his power!" cried a shrieking hag "Chaos and blood will insue!" and leaping with claws in hand they began to tear each other apart. The city streets fell to chaos as in times where the balence of power was fraying, it always did. 


	12. The Bridge of Immortality

Chapter12: The Bridge of Immortality  
  
Across the city blocks from a distant tower three women watched as Subzero made his escape. Around their necks were three crystals of power. They were the personal guardians of the dark sorcerer Quan chi. Black silk bodices and dark boots the first to speak had black gothic hair. A head piece with a red gem shone on her forehead as she gazed out with electronic binoculars "Well" she said as if to prover her point "He's definitely a mortal... his soul is still contained within his body"  
  
Her name was Kia, a metal boomerang was attached to her waist. Next to her with pure white hair stood the assassin Jataaka "A mortal cannot exist here with his soul intact" she hissed. Her voice was whispery and from inside her mouth crunches and clicks sounded as whatever teeth lay inside moved against each other. She grinned viciously suddenly and showed a normal set of teeth, the noise it seemed was a mystery.  
  
"Unless Shinnoch allowed it to be" returned Kia after a good wait. She put the binoculars down and gazed into the distance at the fallen statue.  
  
The third spoke with a mixture of dark hair with white streaks. She was strangely beutiful and did not quite fit in with the other two her name was Sareena "I'll inform Quan chi" she stated "The two of you continue to track him"  
  
"Whatever pleases you mistress" hissed Jataaka with a grin, there was a click from somewhere deep in her throat and her pupiless eyes seemed to gaze eerily with no focus.  
  
"Go and run back to dady" chuckled Kia "We'll cover for you here"  
  
"Bitches" growled Sareena with a snarl "I'll kill you..."  
  
"What a threat" shrugged Kia "You never were very inteligent were you Sareena? Try again and you might hit a sore spot... your own"  
  
Sareena advanced with a growl but a hand caught her on the shoulder. She turned to gaze into Jataaka's white flickering eyes "Don't even think about it you little bitch" she hissed with a crackle in her throat "Touch her..." she hissed "And I will personal take out your eyes while you can still see through them"  
  
Sareena whimpered like a dog and backed off. Turning she growled again and scattered away into the tower. In the darkness she came to a yellow teleporter almost exactly the same as the one in Noobsaibot's tower. Withdrawing the green crystal she held it up and dissapered a fearful tear in her eye.  
  
After crossing the black walls of the city Subzero was into no mans land. He passed pace by pace through the marshes that lead towards the sea of imortality. Several times he almost fell into a bog or swamp. The footing was treacherous here, and his black boots got covered in wet sloppy mud. His feet sank into the ground with each step and when they emerged they gave a soft squelch. Above the orange sky burned down on him with never a sun to be seen. He wasn't even sure if this place actually had a sun or moon, how could it when it stayed in this constant nocturnal hell? The skies were swampped with orange clouds that glowed red as if outside of the world there was nothing but fire and death.  
  
This was the place of lost souls who strayed too far from the city. He could hear their moans under the surface of the moss and grassy reeds. They were all moving slowly away towards the sea of imortality where they would be trapped "imortally" in that horrid putrid water. The souls begged for mercy, he could see them, their green lights flickering now and again out of the mossy banks and dunes. Yet in the Neatherealm there was no mercy, only death. He knew now for sure that it was time for him to acept where he was.  
  
He was in the very bowels of hell itself. Here there were different rules to the earth realm. Demon law, here the creatures were not merciful or kind or had anything in them like it. The longer he stayed in this realm the more it would corrupt him, unless he addmitted what he was and where he was and who he was. He had to admit to himself subconciously he realised that he was a force from the Earthrealm, a neutral being. This the fact that he was neutral was the only thing that kept him alive in this rancid world. He had to admit also, that there were almost none like him. This realm corrupted and changes those who enter it and were once good, to the laws of darkness. They can have no love, hope must be ambition, freindship must be gain, kindness... has no place here. Yet as kindness has no place in that realm, and Subzero felt it dwindling away withing his own heart every time he turned a blind eye to his emotions... there were things in this realm that did not belong in the Earthrealm. The belief of pure Chaos seemed to have no place on the neutral ground. The Earthrealm was a neutral world inbetween chaos and love, the extremes perhaps could not fully ever exist there.  
  
Subzero was closer to the darkness than ever he had realised before... yet he had to be strong and make sure that the darkness did not consume him forever. If so this realm would claim him, and soon his body would change with the dark powers in the air, he would lose his identity. He would be just like the rest of the demons and Oni, a being of pure evil. This was the fate that Raiden had warned him of and now with the mud and mist round his boots he felt much closer to it than when he had first jumpped through the portal. Before the 'Brothers of the Shadow' were just a group of words strung together. Now they had strong meaning in his mind, an unstoppable army of undead, a bastion of fear and demonic strength, it kept hell itself in line.  
  
He trudged on through mud and grime for what seemed like hours on end. He had lost track of time in this realm. He did not feel shattered, meerly tired. He hadn't felt the need to sleep for a long time, yet still he felt stretched somehow, in someway beyond that of simple fatigue. It was the magic of the gods and this realm that had stopped him from falling into dreams. He felt tired but not sleepy. It was a constant effort to resist and try to stop the horrors of this place from truely corrupting him. The pinacle of strength in his mind that the demonic voices assaulted was his hope for freedom. His hope that soon he would return to his own realm and be free of this torture. His hope that one day things might work out okay for him. A time when he wouldn't be working for anyone.  
  
He stood quiet a moment listening to the unhealthy winds that swept across the misty marshes. In the distance he heard mutterings. He listened; the old mutterings of a women came to his ears from a distance, he could see her shape through the mist by a black tree that had lost all but one of its leaves. She wobbled along with great white hair streaming over her shoulder, a small brown cloak she had wrapped tightly round her body.  
  
"Here I am trudging through mud and slush, in the worst of places... never a care for an old lady like myself, those devils should learn some manners"  
  
Subzero stood and again he felt that atmosphere of helplessness. Here was something strange and unexpected, just when he himself thought he was getting to come to terms with this acursed realm, something like this would happen. What was an old woman doing out on these moors? "Hello there!" he called across the soggy stretches.  
  
"Hallo dear!" she called back "What are you doing in such a place as these here marshes? You must be freezing, young man if your mother was here she would have a fit!"  
  
Subzero approached her as she waddled along far quicker than she could have done herself he arrived next to her and looked down on her. Her hair was fluffy like cotton wool and stretched out high over head and was tied back in a single huge bun with a brown piece of cord. A stick was in her hand and she had a bag round her waiste as Subzero stood in front of her frowning. He could feel the Neatherealm pulling on him, begging him to turn to darkness and rip her apart. This force of goodness here, where there was so much evil was a threat to him "No!" he thought arguing back "Maybe she can help me find the way!"  
  
"Do you know the way to the bridge of imortality old woman?"  
  
She looked up with a frown of white eye brows "I'm not that old ya know! You are a rude one! Well as a matter of fact, yes I do I've just been down there only a moment ago... had a message for Shinnoch I did but I wouldn't go there just yet if I were you! The soldiers wouldn't even let me past the gate! Rascals, me journying all this way and I can't even get my job done! Some people are just so unsympathetic"  
  
"What do you mean wouldn't let you passed the gate?" asked Subzero with a worried glance  
  
"Didn't you hear the noise? There's soldiers and machines stamping arround everywere over there! It seems like there's a whole garrison of soldiers ready and at arms to defend from against even an army, if I didn't know any better I'd say they were about to be attacked by Leviathan's mob"  
  
"What do you mean a whole garrison!" ,gawked Subzero "I'm supposed to be passing through that way!" he roared hope shattering briefly before his eyes.  
  
"Keep your voice down dear! Deary me you are a noisy one. Is your name Subzero by any chance?"  
  
"Yes" replied Subzero grimly "If it means anything to you other than my ability to kill"  
  
"Oh no of course not dear! I'm glad I found you what a stroke of luck! I've got a letter for you here" bending into her bag she passed him a small envelope with a red seel, he took it pensively and looked at the writing on the front   
  
"To Subzero - Neatherealm".  
  
"A bit of luck from Madame Ditdoe, she always likes to be fair so she wrote one for Shinnoch as well, but the man at the gate wouldn't let me in. You can give it to him if you like?"  
  
"No thanks that will be quite all right" replied Subzero staring at the envelope "Who are you old women?"  
  
"Piff's mi name, don't you worry about the long version, I prefer Piff anyway. I'm a messenger. I must say again that it was much a good stroke of luck finding you here and all, you've made my workload a lot easier you know! Some people! They really can't write down decent addresses... there was this one person who just gave me the letter!" Subzero wasn't listening he, looked the letter over up and down turning it over in his hands "I tell you that was a tricky find... no address nothing! But I'm sure you a youngster won't want to be hearing all about me, so I'll just be going now... you take care now young Subzero and put something warm on! You must be freezing! Dear me"  
  
Waddling away Subzero watched as she staggerd cougthing as she went with great puffs of white air in the cold. Once she dissapered into the mists and was gone Subzero turned to look at the envelope. Picking at the paper he undid the seal and looked inside, with cold hands he withdrew the message and looked at it. It was in flowing script the ink seemed to have a tinge of green to it.  
  
"Dear Subzero, if you're crossing the bridge of imortality why not put some of my ointment on as a keep safe? It really does stop bruises you know! - love Madame Ditdoe"  
  
He chuckled quietly in the orange light of the sky, the first smile he had pulled in what felt like a very long time. He stampped his boots bringing them out of the mud for a second. He looked about again for the old woman but he couldn't see her, he cursed himself for not asking to have a look at Shinnock's letter. Holding letter and envelope in one hand he crunged them into a ball with his hands. Freezing them with his hand he cracked the paper so that shards of it fell icily down into the mud where with his foot he stampped them further down into the muk. Nobody must see what he had received.  
  
"Madame Ditdoe" he murmered softly "And I thought at one point that all that was a dream..."  
  
Reaching into the folds of his costume he searched as he walked across the marshes. He clasped the bottle and felt the smooth glass, the delicate crystal structure. He gazed at the writing on the formula, that same tinge of green was in the ink that he had seen on the letter. He journeyed out into the marsh, with some confidence that the gods he hadn't killed were probably rooting for him because otherwise they'd end up dead.  
  
The room was dark and filled with Shadows. A white face almost luminescent was lit by light from a square gap in the roof. Moonlight, or maybe something else was its source "approach Sareena" it commanded. The femenine shadow came forward across the bridge with a bow and stood to attention in front of the sorcerer Quan chi. He drummed his fingers once on the arm rest and then gestured as if for her to go on. She spoke somewhat flustered.  
  
"Sir, a mortal has escaped from the Prison of Souls. He is headed toward the Sea of Immortality"  
  
"A mortal?" chuckled Quan chi with a laugh as if the statement were meaningless. He was about to retort and punish Sareena when quite suddenly she continued speaking.  
  
"Yes" she continued with a half stare "A mortal with the ability to freeze"  
  
Quan chi gasped and sat up suddenly his eyes wide with shock "Alert the Keepers!" he shouted "And send a full garrison to intercept! Make sure that he does not cross the bridge!"  
  
"The keepers?" said Sareena quietly amused at her master's fear "But he is just a mortal! Certainly I can dispose of him myself..?"  
  
"Do not question me Sareena!" hissed Quan chi with a warning glance "And more importantly, do not fail me! We have toyed with the ninja long enough"  
  
"Master, is this the ninja Scorpion that you told me would destroy the elements for you?"  
  
"No Sareena... it is not" spat Quan chi standing to his feet he glared fiercly at Sareena as if the question had been an insult "... you will die if you speak another word"  
  
She bowed quickly and with swift feet she hurried out of the room. Quan chi watched her as she ran "No Subzero... I will not have you ruin my plans" gazing down at the amulet he watched the shiny surface for a moment "Heh... Raiden's game... fool"  
  
The bridge of imortality. It stretched out for what seemed like eternity across the misty sea. He was there now, he crouched down just on the other side of an abandoned building. The windows were boarded up and the walls were yellowed with age and most of the roof had fallen in. The sky always orange effected the house in the strange unreal and altogether unsecure way it effected everything in the Neatherealm. The shadows of the corners seemed to lengthen and grow sharper. The building would have looked halmless in his own realm, but here it looked threatening and dangerous like all things did under that emberous twilight. He could hear the voices of the first two guards not far away. They had that same synthasiser like tone in their speach as if part of them were machine. He forced open the door with as little noise as possible. Through a large crack in the wall on the upper floor of the building he got a clean view of the bridge and the pyramid in the distance. Soldiers he could see were everywhere. Marching moving back and forth, they were all Brothers of the Shadow recently transferred from the Prison of souls.  
  
Little did they know that their former master was dead. Little did they know what Subzero had planned for them. His mind was active in the darkness he undressed and through the cold rubbed the ointment over his body shivering over the rotten floor boards like a runaway child. Yet deep down inside he was looking forward to the killing and he knew it. He was looking forward to getting his revenge on the Brothers of the Shadow. He wanted to kill them all yet he didn't know why, every last one of them he wanted to see fall before his power. He rubbed the ointment down his legs and up his arms furiously pushing it further into his skin. The stuff seemed endless in supply even from the tiny crystaline bottle and when finnaly he had covered his whole body, he looked down to find that there was hardly a drop in the surface of the crystaline bottle. It was enchanted in some way, yet more than he origionally suspected for imiediately he could feel its power working into him.  
  
As he put his clothes on he could feel something happening arround his body. A hardening of skin and even bone it seemed. It sank into him, not sticky or sweaty in any way or irritating, the stuff just seemed to sink in even better than water. Like air even. He stepped slowly away feeling the resistances of his body become even harder. He felt as hard as stone, as hard as titanium tougther even still. He clutched himself a moment in sudden pain that stretched right throughout his entire body. He cried out in agony stepping from side to side bending he swaggered like a dying man he felt his back bending in shape. Every bone in his body suddenly clicked at once starting from the toes in his shoes they crackled followed by the ankles, knees hips, and the whole of his spinal chord crackled in a long line like the playing of a Marimba. His neck clicked and the pain released.  
  
Swaggering he stepped inbetween the beams by acident he felt the rotting wood give way. The roof colapsed and he shouted out as the wood and planks fell away they landed with him and on top of him on the stone floor below. He lay emotionless beneath the rubble breathing heavily, his body felt different somehow. With a heave he pushed the wood off of him. A plank with a nail embedded through it was resting on top of his head. He gazed at it ahwile and realised that it hadn't even made a mark on his forehead. Taking it he wacked the nail against the palm of his hand. There wasn't even a mark. It didn't even draw blood.  
  
Reaching into the folds of his robes he took out the Urn of strength. He opened it up and sipped the clean water inside. He felt the strength flow ebbing through his veins and he grinned to himself with malice "Now I am a god" he laughed wiping his lips with his sleeve. He felt fantastic. Turning he kicked the rubble off of him with manic laughter and charged streight at the wall as if every enemy that had ever existed for him was in that old rotting brickwork. It parted easily under his strength and the broken stones and mortar were flung aside the house colapsing behind him he ran faster than he had had ever run before a blue blur towards the bridge.  
  
"Stop!" shouted the guards pointing strange guns forward but he was too fast for them and every second he grew stronger from the power of the Urn. Leaping through the air over the green shots he flipped round in a ball higher than he had ever jumpped before. He landed behind a guard who he held in place as a shield. The second brother of the shadow fired killing the guard he held instantly. Leaping forward like a tiger he stood on the guard's shoulders with a grin and with both hands twisted the head round so that it broke with a snap of neck bones. His hands were like the Golems with imeasurable strength his legs were like the wind god. His mind was like the water god and his anger was like the Fire god's wrath.  
  
The body landed to the ground and he jumpped off with a spurt of energy. He felt better than ever before, he felt fantastic, he felt incredible his body was strong and impenatrable. He was fast, he had skill and powers over ice. Before him Noobsaibot's minions stretched across the bridge and he charged streight towards them and there was no fear inside of him.  
  
Ice and shattered corpses flew high into the air as Subzero broke through deep into the ranks of the enemy. They shot at him and indeed they tried, but it was useless. He dodged through the beams splitting skulls and killing everything he came in contact with. He was losing himself.  
  
Huge red robots with great red legs and shaped heads attacked him with machine guns and flame throwers. They were the keepers, the territorial guardians of the pyramid, like Nazdrak but tougther, but under his powers of strength and body from the Urn and Madame Ditdoe they were nothing to him. He destroyed them easily darting inbetween them backflipping and cartwheeling like death himself. Jumpping up he ripped the metalic heads off with his bare hands electricty and lightning flickering aross his arms and body. He dimly felt the sensation of pain yet it was nothing to him. He polar blasted the machines as they came at him freezing and shattering them into the sea below in an instant. The Brothers of the shadow again came at him in masses as he journeyed across the bridge but they were no match for him. He used many of the death needles in that battle, and never recovered them in his fury.  
  
Heads ripped and armor and guns clanged to the ground as each adversary fell to his power. Everything on him had the power to kill, his arms his head his legs his feet his hands his arms his fingers. With incresed strength and body every part of him had been excellerated to such a digree that killing became easy. Blood spilled across the ground and the bridge became a ground of blood and bones. He watched one of the wretches briefly who fell down into the swampy deapths below. Huge green plant like tenticles reached up out of the waters and dragged him down screaming where boney hands and finger below ripped him and his soul apart.  
  
Blood was all over Subzero's fingers and costume yet it did not itch like before. He enjoyed it, he wanted to create as much destruction to this realm as possible. He wanted to destroy this realm and bring the sky down on it as Noobsaibot had predicted. He wasn't even thinking streight most of the time. He failed to notice how his voice in the orange glow of the sky above when growling in that harsh mannor and unholy way, seemed to sound as if through its own synthasiser. He failed to notice how with his hands he ripped apart bone and flesh and tore the bodies of his enemies apart with no mercy.  
  
Breaking the last of the machines apart the Brothers of the shadow ran away fleeing for a moment. Up ahead a dark helmited rider approached on the back of a what looked like a dragon without wings, a champon, a knight of Shinnoch come to slay him in the name of darkness. The creature he rode breathed fire from its mouth an roared as it approached coming out of the gates of the temple itself. No matter what they frew against him he would destroy it as easy as anything else. It came charging faster and faster towards him like a whirlwind. Withdrawing one of the deathneedles in his hand he held it pointed towards the floor below emotionless. He roared suddenly as the figure came close and threw it forward it sped through the air like a bullet.  
  
It penetrated the knight's armor and he fell off of his mount backwards strugling on the ground in agony. Jumping high into the air as the creature breathed flame where he had stood, he landed swiftly on its back. Withdrawing another black needle, the head of the creature now behind him as he sat, he raised it into the air gleaming and plunged it down lodging it inbetween the vertivbrates of the creature's spinal chord. It slumpped to the ground and he felt the tail pass away between his legs as he landed to the ground. The creature running on howeled in a blind panic breathing flames in every direction it could.  
  
Walking passed without a second look he smiled as the Black Knight exploded in a messy fountain of blood smoking black armor brains and organs. He grinned as the remaining forces of the brothers of the shadow coward before him he failed to notice how they hailed him with "Have merci Oni" but he was still relentless. There was no mercy for them as they would have no merci for him. With cold hands and death on his white breaths he killed each and every one of them in turn as they turned fleeing. He frew with malice their frozen corpses into the terrible sea below, where the souls within took them with opened boney arms. Running on he crossed the last stone slabs and stood still gazing up at the pyramid in front of him reaching up into the skies.  
  
Its tip pierced the orange clouds. Walking slowly forward as the great door in front of him opened. He entered into his final destiny. Quan chi's humble abode. It was time to make an end to the sorcerer's crimes and his own forever. 


	13. Three Witches

Chapter 13: Three Witches  
  
There was a deep silence. He had come out into a great open hallway, the ground level of the pyramid. The stone beneath his feet was cold and shone with the little light that was produced inside that building. The air was cold and his reflection on the smooth floor below was deeply unsettling. Huge statues similar to the one he had leveled were placed distantly on the wall, equally spaced they all stared down at him as if about to pass judgement.  
  
For the first time in the Neatherealm he could hear nothing. In this place there was complete silence, an emptyness. Each step he took on the marble like floor: The sound tapped loudly as if walking inside a Cahthedral. The ground was so smooth that it reflected light like a mirror or polished marble. The strange thing about that dismal place was where did the light come from? He couldn't see a visble light source anywhere, apart from the entrance. The orange glow that came in through the doorway shimmered across the ground but seemed to be eaten up quickly by the Pyramid's own strange unnatural lighting. Wind whistled in through the gap before with a slow movement of stone the great door slid shut and there was absolute quiet. He dared not speak.  
  
His breath still came harshly from the battle outside, and he still felt the strength inside of him from the Urn although it was fading fast now. He only had a little bit of water left in the relic, he'd have to be careful to save it for Quan chi himself. In comparison his body still felt as durable as it had done when he first put the ointment on, the ditdoe formula was still having its effect. He felt strange, not quite himself as he always had done. The quiet had brought him back to reality and he realised what he'd been doing outside. Looking down over himself, his blue clothing was stained red and green in places. Blood was everywhere, on his hands, bits on his face on his chest, the stains were everywhere. He looked more like a butcher than a Lin kuei. He realized with a shudder that what he had been doing outside was inhuman. It was terrible, and it was slowly eating at him now more than it had ever done before.  
  
"This acursed realm" he coughed blowing on his frost bitten hands "Is trying to change me"  
  
The voices that had been speaking to him seemed ever stronger here now, in this place, yet now it seemed as if he could hear them, and they came from his own mind "We never try to change anyone... you've always had the darkness in you Subzero, we only try to show you your true self"  
  
"Rubbish" he whispered walking forward his feet clapped against the stone floor as if he were a tap dancer stamping the ground "I come from the Earth realm, I belong to neutrality not to darkness... any fool can see that"  
  
"The Earth Realm is just a dream" whispered the voices echoing bouring down upon him heavily as he wandered through the rainbow hallway, the black stone coulerless itself seemed to copy other lights to give interest, yet by looking at it you could always tell that in truth it had no couler of its own "Surely you must have realised that by now Subzero? The Neatherealm is the real world. The Earthrealm is an imperfection, a fantasy that went wrong. Only the excelleration of darkness to its final conclusion can hold in it any truth at all"  
  
"Its not true" whispered Subzero clutching his head "Its not true!"  
  
"You have a strange idea of what truth is. Do you think truth is saving a realm? Do you think it really matters in the long run whether a person dies or not? Hasn't your own philosophy always been Subzero, just to earn a living? You can see surely that nothing really matters, whether you suceed in bringing down these very walls into the Sea of immortality below, or whether you die midway, you still have achieved nothing. Does it really make sence to you to do things for others? What has that realm ever done for you?"  
  
"What has your realm ever done for me!" retorted Subzero waving his fists round in anger "Answer me that! What has your black pit of a realm ever done for me! With your orange skies and blood and pain and suffering and misery what is there for me in this putrid place!?"  
  
"We have shown you truth"  
  
"You have shown me lies"  
  
"What are lies, but possible truths?"  
  
"Don't give me that bullshit!" screamed Subzero his voice echoing down the hallways "Its fucking sorcerer's talk!" he shouted running his hands over his head "Its fucking sorcerer's talk!" he roared  
  
"Let us show you real truth Subzero. Let us show you true ambition! Call Shinnok's name and he shall appear in this place. Tell him of Noobsaibot's treachury and of how Quan chi didn't pay you for your services. Tell him how Quan chi has the amulet and has not yet given it to him! And tell him that you want to join him in ruling the Earth realm as an Oni at his side... you will have your revenge, your revenge over creation. Is that not truth?"  
  
"Fuck you!" screemed Subzero with his hands he dragged his nails down his face, cutting into the skin he drew blood "I'll show you truth!" he screemed reaching into his blue clothing he reached for the Death needles and their destructive powers. But he was searching in the wrong folds, for this one had been emptied on the bridge of Imortality, reaching down into the very bottom instead he clutched his hand round something soft. Something that seemed alive to his touch, imiediately he calmed and his tense shoulders lowered. He withdrew the object and gazed at it. The voices were silent. His vision blurred a moment and he staggered about before dropping to his knees he gazed at the object he held before him.  
  
A small but poweful aroma of mint filled his nostrils and gazing forward his vision cleared, and he could see inbetween his finger tips a single green leaf. It had not diminished, bent or tore in any place. It looked as alive as it first had when he had fallen from the wind god's heights.  
  
"A single leaf," he whispered clutching it, he fingered it looking at the veins desperately, the living substance that was within it. It had come from another place. It had seemed distant until now, it reminded him of everything. His life, his morals, his place and where he was and what he was doing. The voices were silent.  
  
He stood to his feet slowly regaining his sences. The strength had left him but he didn't need it. He held the leaf up to the faces on the back wall that gazed down on him "This is truth" he whispered slowly "As you said, it doesn't matter in the end. But when the choice comes, when the final word is asked whether I should choose, this leaf is true to my freedom, and true to my past and everything that has been created and ever will be. You forces of darkness, cannot hinder me or persuade me to choose what my own path will be. As of now... I represent the god of Thunder Raiden, not Noobsaibot and his dark schemes. As of now, this leaf is truth and I am truth in amongst your lies. Since I entered this realm you have swarmed over me and you will continue to do so until I have left it. But the truth is that you will fail... you have failed until now, and that is also truth. And you will continue to fail as long as my truth is not yours. In this darkness, this single leaf shall be my light. No matter what horrors you throw against me willing me into your doom, this beacon will show truth always, and with it my mind will never wavour, and will never be yours" Clutching it he held it in his cold hands, yet even still he could smell the mint. The voices were afraid, he had beaten them. They never spoke to him again, for he had now his own truth, and he had the power to show it to them.  
  
Until this day Subzero never knew how long he spent in that dismal place. The upper floors were much simpler. He got to them through strange moving slabs of stone in the ground. All he had to do was stand on them and think the direction he wanted to go in and the pillar would rise out of the ground taking him to the upper levels. It was tricky at first, and the dark gloomy atmosphere of the place did nothing for him morally.  
  
As much as it seemed Shinnok's fortress was not unguarded... it was. Priests of the black guard were waiting in every shadow for him to pass. Through every corridoor he passed the death toll incresed, and blood of the red legged men stained his hands and mind. Some corridoors had swinging blades continually passing back and forth just like in the Earth temple. Now they seemed easier to pass. He seemed to know how to do it after having done it before; walking past these blades seemed a simple thing.  
  
The first assassin. At the end of one bladed corridoor he walked on to find great double doors made out of the same strange kind of shiny marble texture that he asociated with the rest of the temple. He could see his own light coming out of the door, and he looked on with distaste knowing that the door did not make any gift to him. It was taking away his light not showing it. Everything in this place was a loss, it had nothing and never would have any sustenence in it. It was empty, but so empty that it felt almost hollow. With both hands he opened the door into a large dark circular room.  
  
Circular rooms and Mortal Kombat seemed to have a very strong familiarity with Subzero. This one seemed hardly to be any different at all from any of the others he had been in. A dark haired girl looked up at him brandishing weapons she smiled darkly glaring at him. A red gemmed head piece was resting on her forehead.  
  
"Subzero" she smiled "It's you... I've been looking forward to this..."  
  
"Who are you?" he asked  
  
"My name's Kia" she smiled grinning at him mischiviously "I am one of the three personal assassins of Quan chi. If you wish to speak to our master, you must prove yourself worthy"  
  
"And how do I do that?" asked Subzero sarcastically, he clenched the mint leaf gazing at her smooth body. She appealed to him in every way her body could, yet he felt no real attaction to her. There was something incredibly dead about her body, something that had no life in it. She seemed to have a soul, but something else was missing.  
  
"You will have to beat all three of us in Mortal Kombat. To use the teleporter you have to have three crystals that each of us holds one" to prove her point she pointed to a piece of cord round her neck where a green gem was held in place. It was pleasing to the eye, yet it stank of Neatherealm darkness and he had no intention of taking it with him back to the Earthrealm. He would use it and then discard it.  
  
"Heh... so I have to find the three crystals that you say are in this temple?"  
  
She chuckled with a smile she dangled the crystal with her fingers in front of his eyes "If you want it big boy... come and get it"  
  
"You take the first move" said Subzero softly "I've been doing the first move for ages and I'm sick of it"  
  
"I'm glad you said that" chuckled Kia and from her boot she withdrew a shinny metal object that shone darkly reflecting in the black marble like walls and floors. It was a sharp curved piece of metal bending on one side back and on the other forward; she threw it forward and it hissed as it passed through the air. Subzero dodged and it wizzed round and came shooting back again. He ducked and she caught it running forward she attacked with a snarl.  
  
Her blows were very fast, there was no doubt about that, but what they lacked was real strength. She was much more dexterous than she was forceful and several punches caught Subzero off guard yet they weren't strong enough to cause any real damage. He flipped back suddenly and kicked her hard on the chin with both boots. Her head flew back and she spat blood high into the air landing on her back. Quickly she was up and she threw the boomerang forward, Subzero dodged and it spun towards him missing wildly it sawed round the room.  
  
Coming back at him it missed again yet didn't return to her hand, instead it zoomed back again towards him making the same hissing sound as the metal cut threw the air.  
  
"You bastard" called Kia spitting a tooth onto the floor, blood poured out of her mouth and she coughed bitterly "I hope your having fun you mortal shit, I can make this thing come at you all day"  
  
Subzero dodged and ducked and rolled. Running at Kia he aimed a kick but she easily dodged and tripped him. The blade flew overhead as she backed off and hastilly Subzero stood to his feet just in time to get out of the way of the blade again.  
  
Again he dodged and again the curved metal piece came for him "Why won't you die damn it!" shouted Kia after this had continued for a frighteningly long time. The blade shooted forward and Subzero ran dodging aside he flipped and cartwheeled out of the way. It was relentless, again it curved round over Kia's head and came streight back towards him.  
  
Subzero stood motionless as the blade came swishing towards him, with sweating face and neck he put both hands forward, ducking he caught the blade as it came through the air. It cut his hand slightly on the edge as he was pulled with it rolling onto the floor. The blade continued to try and move, rolling on the shiny surface he stampped his foot down on it and picked it up motionless with both hands.  
  
"I hope you're good at dodging Kia" snarled Subzero darkly. With a flick of his fingers he flung it forward at high speed. Before Kia had time to react it lodged itself in her head inbetween the eyes. Blood mixed with yellow dripped slowly through the gap and down her nose. With a groan she staggared back, her mouth opened to speak for a moment and she raised a hand. Swaying she fell back onto the floor dead. Her mouth twisted and eyes flickering in that same face that Subzero knew so well. It gave him a feeling of consistency. Bending down he ripped the crystal from her neck, the chain snapped and he held the dark gem in his hand. Along with the mint leaf he put it away inside his clothing. With a quiet sneer of satisfaction he turned away and walking out into the passageway he closed the black doors behind him with an echoing slam.  
  
He set off again moving through the dark shadowy temple. It was a maze yet it was no longer the simple three dimentional world that guided him. It was the feeling of fear and deep evil combined that lead him to each of his targets. He could feel where he needed to go. The gem itself began to glow as he acended up the stairs. It resonated with a soft hum and he presumed that it only did this when close to the other crystals.  
  
"You stop!" shouted one of the Black Guard. He was quick on the uptake and reaching into his folds he flung a death needle forward. It lodged in the man's head through the face, the red legged guard fell to the ground spasming and sweat bubbling up his back and legs. Like the rest of them he died yet he had died instantly. The others not being killed on inpact usually had a horrible slow death - blindness - paralyzation - death as Noobsaibot had said. Subzero had never known any toxin so leathful in his entire life.  
  
The Black guard were much better fighters than Subzero had encountered during any of the four temples. Yet as much as he could he picked the easy way out of fights, if he didn't have to fight someone then he didn't do it, if he did then he killed them as quickly as possible with as little effort. They were good, but they weren't good enough. He killed any who opposed him and his task. He licked the small wound on his hand briefly as he turned corners. It had stopped bleeding but it still hurt. Every corner had a new peril to face off with. Some passages simply stopped outright with a wall or pit. Some came to the edge of the pyramid itself and he could gaze out at the orange horizon across the sea of imortality. Square windows reached out through dark rooms where the light shimmered in through the gaps. Spiked shadows reached out from nowhere into the corners of the room like imaginary daggers.  
  
The second assassin. He came to the doors. He knew it was the right room because the crystal shimmered as he entered bright green. The doors opened and he walked into a circular room almost exactly the same as the other. A female assassin similar looking to Kia stood in the centre. A white streek went down her hair and she had an almost childish like look on her face. She seemed almost upset as she prepared herself for battle with large hooked swords. They were made for pain, they seemed to glow blue as she raised them.  
  
"Welcome mortal, my name is Sareena one of the three personal assassins of the dark sorcerer Quan chi"  
  
"That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me in a long time" grumbled Subzero "Hand over the crystal now or I'll kill you"  
  
Sareena chuckled "Or you'll kill me? What kind of threat is that? You couldn't kill me let alone any of my sisters"  
  
Subzero held up the green crystal of Kia omnimously. Sareena gazed at it slowly and put a hand to her lip, she frowned quickly and raised her weapons "No matter, Kia was careless"  
  
"And so are you," spat Subzero, "Do you want to die the same way as her? It was excruciatingly painful and messy. Put down your weapons and I'll let you go free"  
  
"You must think I'm stupid master Subzero... you'd kill me anyway and you know it. No. I know you, you'd have to be more Oni than man to survive in this hell. Come get me you bastard and let us settle this the ancient way, through Mortal Kombat"  
  
"It makes no difference to me" shrugged Subzero "I didn't realise you wanted to die so badly"  
  
Charging forward both hands glowed blue suddenly as he attacked. Sareena brought the hooked swords towards him horizontally. He slowed in a jerky panic and jumpped back out of the way surprized at her fast reactions. She spun the blades round aiming for his head and upper body but again he stepped aside. She thrust a single blade forward aiming for his heart but stepping away to the outside of her body he gripped her arm and gave it a painful twist, she dropped the weapon with a clang but with a scream brought the second sword over Subzero's head. He ducked and sweeping down he brought Sareena to the floor on her back. She dropped the second sword.  
  
She shrieked rolling aside as he came at her "Give me the crystal" he hissed.  
  
"Never!" she replied holding up her hands in a defensive stance. The green crystal dangled from her neck on its precarious chain. He attacked with a quick combo, she barely blocked and he backed her up against the wall. Slamming a cold blow forward his fist indented into the wall cracking the shinny surface. Through the hard ice round his hands he hardly felt a thing. Turning he realised that Kia had dodged. She attacked him bringing him to the floor with a kick to the chest. He aimed an ice bolt at her upper body as he stood to his feet and she had to back off her advantage to avoid being frozen alive.  
  
They circled round each other Kia was tense. Subzero stood up firm and he walked around her quickly hardly using any martial art at all. He looked relaxed and calm as if he were playing with a child "Give up"  
  
"No" she replied  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you'll kill me"  
  
"Fair enough" and he shot forward on icy feet and punched her in the stomach, she sank to the floor and he brought a hand down on her back. Kicking her while she was down he hit her in the head several times the chest and stomach yet she refused to lose conciousness the easy way. Desperately she tried to crawl away but he grabbed her by the legs and pulled her back to him. Holding both arms down with his knees he sat on top of her and squeezed her neck until he felt the bone beneath the wind pipe. She choked struggling for breath and he felt the life ebbing from her as his icy cold hands were chilling her neck. All he had to do was purposely freeze her and it was all over. In a moment she would die like everyone else.  
  
Her playful face however defeated him. Her child like expression did not fit in with that realm, she gasped for breath struggling to get out of his grip.  
  
Instead with the other hand he reached down and taking hold of the crystal he wrenched it snapping the chord from her neck. Her legs flayed out trying to kick him off of her but they did little good. Backing off he kicked her in the ribs and picked her up by the neck. With an easy motion he lifted her off her feet and threw her across the room. She colapsed on the floor gasping for breath.  
  
"You were supposed to beg for mercy" he grunted and turning he left the room. With both hands he slammed the black doors behind him and continued away on his mission. He'd left her alive. He silently cursed his stupidity.  
  
Just one more to go... up he arose through the great pyramid this time with two gems in his possession. They resonated together and made finding the last one very difficult. Because they glowed all the time it made finding the final assassin as hard as finding Kia if not more so. He had only his instinct to rely upon, that feeling that told him for good or for evil what to expect.  
  
Reaching into his folds he gripped the leaf for comfort. It wasn't really the smell that calmed him (although it did to some extent), it was more what the leaf represented to him. It was his sanity and his connection with the real world. If ever his vision of the Earth realms was lost then he truly would be trapped in this world and the last of his sanity and goodness would burn up. He would be left a lost destroyed soul with only evil left inside of him.  
  
He arose up high lifts and the floors became smaller. The top the pyramid of cource became smaller since all four diagonal lines meet at the highest point. The brick work was uneven in some places while in others it was as perfect as the Incas. Finding no way up at one point he was forced to climb up a sheer rocky race to the floors above. There was only one assassin left and he was soon to find her. He knew it.  
  
There were more black guard up there on the higher levels than in anywhere else in the pyramid. It seemed that as he advanced they retreated until now he had cornered them all at the top of the pyramid. He had found the central axis of evil, the sporing grounds where all this darkness came from. This is where the Black guards clustered in every corner waiting to jump out from the shadows. They had no where left to run or hide.  
  
The third assassin. Through the darkness he came to the black doors that he knew to be the location of the final guard. The two crystals resonated loudly. With a cold glowing blue hands he smashed the door open and the black marble flung back crashing either side against the walls. The final assassin was inside she stood kneeling on the floor, white hair hiding her face.  
  
Subzero entered and the doors closed behind him, she didn't move.  
  
"Aren't you going to tell me your name?" he said at length.  
  
"Why should I?" she hissed  
  
"The others did"  
  
"They're dead" she replied a crackle in her voice. Somewhere in the back of her neck a bone clicked against another one.  
  
"If you hand me the crystal I will spare you"  
  
"I don't want your mercy mortal" she hissed  
  
"What do you want then?" asked Subzero at length  
  
"I want release" she hissed standing up, she parted her hair. One hand behind her back she pulled from behind her a glowing blue daggar. Her eyes were white with eery deep dark pits that seemed infinitely empty. She licked the blade and drew red blood from her tongue. It dripped down the blade onto her hand and she smiled licking it up.  
  
"What's wrong with your eyes?" he asked shuddering as she licked.  
  
"I've been resurected" she chuckled "Not like my other two weak sisters. Leviathan gave me mercy and brought me back to life"  
  
"Leviathan?" questioned Subzero  
  
"The black serpent of destruction. He gives mercy to many. I have had enough of mercy"  
  
"Then you will die" returned Subzero "I killed both your sisters and I'll kill you"  
  
"You killed one of my sisters" she corrected snidely, there was a crackle of bone in the back of her throat and something seemed to snap in her mouth.  
  
"I defeated two of them then if that is what you will instead acept as truth"  
  
"Bid deal"  
  
"If you want to die why will you fight me?"  
  
"Do you think I have no honor?" she laughed "Come now, spar with me 'Cold one'. I have read about you already. Attack me and let us decide how the story ends together, I would not throw away this chance for more mercy"  
  
Reaching down suddenly into his folds he withdrew a death needle and flung it forward towards her head. There was a clang of metal and a split second later she held it inbetween huge sharp teeth. Spitting it out it landed in her hand, her eyes widened slightly "Very nice. We've been looking for evidence to back destroying Noobsaibot for a long time. I remember when he got these, he bowed low and kissed master Shinnok's feet. Here keep it, he would not want you to lose them so easily" she flung it back.  
  
"Shit!" shouted Subzero diving aside for cover. The needle clanged across the floor, getting up he ran over to it and picked it up sweat dripping down his face. Hastilly he put it away "... shit" he said again widening his eyes. Somehow the possibility that someone might catch and throw the needle back at him had never occured to him. He gazed steadily at the assassin in front of him. She grinned and her mouth now contained a normal set of white teeth. There was a crack in the back of her mouth that sounded out hollow through her lips.  
  
"What's your name?" he breathed hard  
  
"Jataaka... your worst Nightmare"  
  
A second later she had leaped forward with glowing blue daggar in hand. Subzero leaped aside as she swung the weapon across almost cutting him in half. Dodging back she flayed the weapon passed him as he desperately tried to get away from her. Sliding back suddenly he charged both hands a blinding white and polar blasted her.  
  
She'd jumpped into the air daggar forward she screamed flying towards him. His blow had missed and instead had frozen the floor where she had been standing. With a gasp he ducked to the ground rolling aside as her lightning fast daggar plunged into the black marble floor. Straining once and then twice she whipped it out of its hold as Subzero stood to his feet.  
  
She attacked him speedily with a virtical blow, he sidestepped and tried to attack but her free hand caught his and held it in place. Backing off she attacked with the daggar thrusting forward he dodged inside as she twisted his arm in pain. He shouted out and and charged his hands cold. She backed off in pain her hands going numb he shook his pained hand up and down.  
  
With a shriek she flung the daggar forward towards him. He caught it stepping aside he threw it to the floor. There aiming both hands down he froze it encasing the weapon in a rounded block of solid ice. Hands still spraying he turned them towards her and she cartwheeled aside as the ice trail followed her round the room freezing the floor so that it glittered reflecting onto the ceiling and walls. The whole room now shone with white and blue glittering ice.  
  
He stopped spent for a moment she charged towards him and slipped. He tried to run but he too lost his footing and fell down with a wheeze onto the ice below. It hurt badly and bruised him on the back side. Carefully he got to his feet and so did she. Jataaka carefully edged her way towards him, she snarled suddenly showing great sharp fangs in her mouth.  
  
"This won't change anything!" she hissed and she snapped her jaws together like that of a crocodile.  
  
"Oh yes it will" smiled Subzero "You're in my element now, and you follow my rules"  
  
"What are the rules oh master?" she sneered stepping forward uneasily towards him.  
  
"Hand over the crystal" he replied "Or die"  
  
"I never was very good at following rules" she hissed and leaped forward with snapping jaws. Subzero ducked and slid under her smacking her hard in the chest as he did so he hefted her up and slammed her painfully against the opposite wall "Not so fast that time were you my pretty?"  
  
"Shut up" she grunted wheezing, she got uneasily to her feet and gazed down at the ice in fear. She was trapped against the wall and Subzero advanced eyes on her all the time. She snapped her mouth suddenly and he paused slowly avoiding contact with the deadly teeth. Reaching into the folds of his cloth he rummaged a moment and Jataaka was wary. He returned his hands to reveal four death needles in each, held in place inbetween the fingers "Lets see you dodge this"  
  
She jumpped high into the air kicking off of the wall, the first one missed, he aimed another at her feet as she landed it stuck hard into the ice. She cartwheeled aside as another needle sang through the air missing her by inches. Jumping she screamed in pain as one glanced off her leg, he missed with another as she rolled aside, the final three he flung streight at her and they lodged. She screamed out in high pitched pain moaning and thrashing her arms about wildly with an unearthly sound. The death needles were lodged in her and they waved about as she rolled about wriggling and burning the flesh.  
  
She screamed spasming again her jaw snapped wrong and several teeth broke off in a spurt of blood. She spat bones and fangs out of her mouth as she wretched on the floor, her hand wavering she pulled one needle out and tried to throw it at Subzero. It fell to the ground with a clang as her eyes rolled and her hand went limp on the floor. Her tongue stuck out and blood and throth started pouring out of her body. Her head snapped back with a crack and the neck broke, her torso imploded and then burst, the head broke in on itself and the bubbling remains spilled out across the floor. A disgusting smell filled the room.  
  
Out of eight needles he recovered six. After leaving the room he tried to vomit but couldn't. He didn't go back in. He realised for the first time that he hadn't eaten anything in a long time. Something in the realm and removed his hunger, probably Noobsaibot's mysterious bath. Disgusted he closed the doors with a slam and left with one objective left: Revenge. He remembered that scene for the rest of his life. It haunted his dreams. 


	14. Just an Amulet

Chapter14: Just an amulet  
  
Climbing up towards the highest point in the pyramid he defeated the final members of the black guard. The last resistance of the dark temple crumbled under his skills and he came to the final elevating stone. He acended on the mysterious stone slab and rose up high into the air. Wind wistled and he could see the sky distantly. He couldn't tell where he was in the pyramid, the sky was enclosed on either side by pyramid walls reaching far either side. He had thought he'd been heading to the highest point, but evidently he hadn't... or had he? The roof of the pyramid above seemed entirely seperated from the bottom part of the pyramid, if hovered in the air without an attempt at explanation.  
  
Either side of him there were green bent spikes encircling inwards. It reminded him of a teleporter. This had to be it, the final place. Surely this background was an ilusion? He retreaved the three green crystals from his neck and held them up. They resonated strongly together singing dark prayers and glowing a blinding green.  
  
"Where do you want to go?" whispered a voice inside his head.  
  
"Wherever Quan chi is" he said calmly. There was a ripple in the air and in front of him a glowing red door opened shimmering under the unearthly orange skies above. He gazed at it and the crystals in his hand. He dropped them to the floor discarding them "Such things must never reach the Earth realm"  
  
Turning he looked at the portal slowly. A mirage of couler if flickered the centre turning in spirals like a whirl pool. With slow steady steps he entered and the world passed away into darkness.  
  
The air shimmerd and Subzero appeared walking across a long metal courceway. It was a dark mysterious room somewhere in the pyramid. Below far down he could see the hallway far below. He was very high up, impossibly high. It seemed as if the entire pyramid had changed its structure against him. At the end sitting on a throne like a king Quan chi sat staring up at him as he entered with pale face and beady eyes. There wasn't a trace of fear in him, he sat confidently as if Subzero was just doing something that was expected of him, a small matter that could be quickly and easily dealt with.  
  
"Welcome to my home, Sub Zero. If you're still looking for the amulet, you can find it at the pyramid's apex... around Shinnock's neck. You've arrived a little late" his eyes flickered amused as if Subzero's trek through hell was a small pathetic achievement. Everything about him was a sniff; everything about him was a put down now directed at Subzero. Subzero realized it now with strong hate and anger. That trace of sarcasm had always been in Quan chi's voice he had just never seen it before. That false tone that suggested general sympathy was just a mocking candy from the pits of hell. He belonged here, those spiked shoulders that looked so out of place in the Earthrealm, those black clothes with blue leggings that looked so surreal in the Lin Kuei head quarters yet looked so real and in place here.  
  
"I was busy," replied Subzero clenching his knuckles. He stood just in front of Quan chi observing him, waiting for the chance to make a kill.  
  
"Don't you realize why Raiden sent you?" said Quan chi after awhile crossing his legs, he paused as if not sure how to continue, yet now Subzero could see that it was all just for show, he could see through the sorcerer's illusions "The Netherealm is a place for evil beings. You could not exist here unless you were tainted with evil"  
  
Subzero squinted and clutched the mint leaf tighter. His teeth locked and his shoulders became tense.  
  
"You belong here... Join my Brothers of the Shadow and worship our lord, Shinnok"  
  
"Never Sorcerer" replied Subzero squeezing the green leaf so that the mint smell poured over him.  
  
"Then so it shall be" laughed Quan chi "Ninja"  
  
Subzero knew he had said it on purpose. He had called Subzero a "ninja" on purpose right from the start. He had always known that Subzero was Lin kuei but had called him Ninja just to irritate him. He was no friend, he never had been or would be. There were few friends in the world for Subzero.  
  
"I never realized before that you owned the Brothers of the Shadow Quan chi, I had come to the conclusion that they were controlled by someone far more experienced, am I wrong?"  
  
Quan chi's eyebrows flickered a moment and Subzero realized he had hit Quan chi in a sore spot. The sorcerer stood to his feet slowly getting off of the throne glaring once at Subzero he flickered his eyes again as if Subzero again meant nothing to him. With a turn of his neck there was a loud crack followed by the other side. His knuckles cracked and his elbows and knees cracked as if he hadn't used them in a century.  
  
"You're a quick learner it seems" he snorted "But no matter... Noobsaibot won't be in command for much longer. I will be the next in command, Shinnok promised me it as my reward"  
  
"Unfortunately," snarled Subzero, "You're going to be dead. But looking at your ugly corpse I suppose really it wouldn't make any difference to someone like you"  
  
"Pretty words master Subzero," sniffed Quan chi slowly bending his arms forward, "Pretty words" he repeated. The fingers cracked the bones fitting uneasily into place, a fighting stance "Pretty words... but words can only go so far... lets see how you fare against my powers"  
  
The battle had begun. Wrenching both hands forward he roared and a green skull shot through the air towards Subzero with sharp teeth clasping together as they came towards him ready to bite his heart out. He dodged and a second later Quan chi was gone. Turning Subzero took a punch in the face and was sent flying back blood splattering either side of him onto the bridge.  
  
He staggered to his feet as Quan chi with a roar charged towards him with glowing yellow and green hands.  
  
"All Sorcerer's talk am I!" screemed Quan chi with a voice that shook the walls "Let me show you, you pathetic wretch what Sorcerer's talk can do to people!"  
  
"Fuck you!" returned Subzero and standing up he met Quan chi's run with a fist, upper cutting the sorcerer back. He flailed through the air waving arms either side of him. He landed with a snarl and disappeared soon to appear behind Subzero. He ducked quickly as Quan chi fired several yellow bolts of light towards him. They missed flying overhead before again Quan chi approached this time warily.  
  
Outstretching his leg Subzero slid across the floor at high speed and caught the sorcerer off guard. He landed on the floor and blocked as Subzero returned to attack him while he was down. Subzero's attacks were rushed and not well timed. Quan chi booted him in the stomach and Subzero fell back in retreat as the sorcerer stood to his feet.  
  
"Tricky circumstances huh?," chuckled Quan chi, "One of us is going to fall to their death and it isn't going to be me, that's for sure"  
  
"You're so confident"  
  
"That's because I don't lose" replied Quan chi with a sneer, turning he gripped both hands on the black throne, with a red face he lifted it up into the air and threw it crashing forward towards Subzero. Dropping down suddenly Subzero gripped both hands on the bridge dangling for a moment over the abyss he watched as the throne fell down far below where after an agonizingly long time it smashed into pieces a small dot below. Leaping up he landed with both feet on the bridge and blocked as Quan chi charged towards him.  
  
Quan chi's blows were fast and very powrful enchanted with magic, yet they were not as skillful as they might once have been. He seemed to have once known a great art in fighting, but over time his skills had waxed and now he had grown week. He was too confident in his abilitities. A punch reared out and Subzero's head dodged aside. Leaping forward he kneed Quan chi in the pelvis and brought double fists down on his shoulder. He slumpped in pain to the floor, spinning round the sorcerer brought a kick to Subzero and sent him sprawling back across the floor.  
  
They battled teeth clenched, ice and hell fire crossed the room as they attempted to destroy each other. Quan chi would dissapere for moment and return next to Subero of behind him and Subzero had to be always ready to block or attack when the timing demmanded it.  
  
Suddenly there was a flash of light and Quan chi was behind him, Subzero stood to his feet and ducked as a skull face shot over his head followed by several beams of light. The enslaught stopped and Subzero warily approached, Quan chi backed off slowly snarling.  
  
"You're no match for me Subzero, you should never have come here!"  
  
"You should never have betrayed me sorcerer," returned Subzero with glowing blue hands, "it will be your own downfall, for now I shall destroy you"  
  
"No you won't... I will"  
  
There was a flash of yellow light behind Quan chi and he turned quickly in shock to meet an uppercut to the face. He flew high up into the air and landed with a crack on edge of the bridge. Tipping he fell screaming down to the black depths below. Subzero looked on in surprize, he was completely off guard to what had just happened. As the light cleared a lone figure came into view. A girl with a white streak in her hair, she smiled as she walked up to him. It was Sareena, the assassin he had left alive. She must have picked up the crystals that Subzero had dropped.  
  
"Why did you help me?," gasped Subzero  
  
"You are still a mortal," she smiled, "That means you can escape the Neatherealm"  
  
"There won't be anywhere to go if I don't take the amulet back" said Subzero omnimously  
  
"Take me with you!," she pleaded, "I have waited an eternity to escape!"  
  
"You don't understand!," said Subzero irritated, "I can't leave without the..."  
  
She screamed in pain suddenly hands falling to her chest. Her hair flaied out madly as she stagared forward a purple light flowing from her body. Subzero caught her as she fell, blood flowing out of her onto the floor below.  
  
"Sareena!" shouted Subzero as he held her slowly in his arms, he laid her gently on the ground, he looked up suddenly to meet a wrinkled and familiar face. An old man hovered in the air hand outstretched, his face was ugly and pale, strange robes surrounded him with a red head piece. The amulet was round his neck, he was the same man that Subzero had met in the prison cell yet now the amulet of Shinnok was arround his neck "Who are you old man?" asked Subzero. He looked down into Sareena's eyes, they flickered as she gasped for breath.  
  
"It is I Shinnok," he boomed the voice bouncing across the marble walls. Sareena's hand outstretched and met Subzero's, she nodded vaguely. There was something in her palm, he took it and as if satisfied she fell to the floor, the hand once warm seem to go cold and it dropped empty as Subzero released it. There were three gems in Subzero's hand, he felt them and knew instantly what they were. A voice sounded in his mind along with the other whisperings and dark prayers "where do you want to go?"  
  
He looked up with curiosity at Shinnok who smiled seing what he thought to be distress in Subzero's face "Sareena was dealt with as I would have dealt with all my children of this realm. But you ,Subzero, will be treated as a bitter enemy!"  
  
"You bastard!" screamed Subzero and running forward he jumpped high through the air and aimed a kick at Shinnok's head. He never made the strike, for a purple shield slammed into him hard and he fell flying back across the ground.  
  
"Feel my power!" roared Shinnok and the very walls themselves seem to rumble "You do not stand a chance against me mortal! Now that I have my amulet nothing will stand in my way!"  
  
Slowly the god still hovering decended onto the bridge. Walking forward hands behind his back the amulet dangled from his neck swaying on its chain from side to side. With a lazy foot he kicked the dead body of Sareena off of the bridge. It fell down into the darkness below the same as Quan chi's had.  
  
"Strange," muttered Shinnok quietly, "It does not seem the same as last time... no matter even so it will be enough to destroy you... more than enough"  
  
"What are you talking about?" groaned Subzero standing to his feet. "Where do you want to go?" the voice echoed in his mind.  
  
"Oh Subzero, I have heard about your exploits. Quan chi told me everything. It is such a shame that you joined forces with Raiden and not me. Never mind, I have won Raiden's game and now I shall reap the rewards. Soon once my power is fully restored I shall open the portal to your realm and secure victory for the hells"  
  
"Are you going to kill me?" whispered Subzero down on one knee. Shinnok approached slowly, again his hands behind his back. He stood still and looking up Subzero could see the purple glow of the force field in front of him. It hissed rippling, it seemed to warn Subzero away from touching it. He wondered with wild searching thoughts if the forcefield was also behind the god. There was only one way to find out.  
  
"Kill you?," chuckled Shinnok, "What a stupid question of cource I'm going to kill you"  
  
"Why don't you do it then?"  
  
"Because I'm having fun watching your reactions. Right now you're weighing up the options as all mortals do and you are trying to think of the best thing to do in this situation"  
  
"Have mercy Oni... What would you do oh great dark god Shinnok?"  
  
"Me?," laughed Shinnok, "I am a god and would not be in such a situation in the first place. But if I was you I would either beg for mercy or jump off this bridge right now, but unfortunately for you... neither option is going to help you..."  
  
There was a purple glow from the amulet and something flickered with a spark. Shinnok looked down in curiosity at the green gem "What's happening?" he whispered, he fingered the amulet and brought it up to his eyes gazing over it with wild eyes.  
  
That was the moment that Subzero knew he had to act, or never act at all. It was his only chance.  
  
"Where do you want to go?" whispered the voice.  
  
"Behind Shinnok now!"  
  
There was a flash of light and Shinnok looked up surprized to find Subzero gone "What the..."  
  
With freezing cold hands Subzero outstretched both into a polar blast. The bridge froze and so did Shinnok half way turning round. His face was frozen in an expression of shock. Subzero leaped forward and grasping the amulet he ripped it from its chain and backed quickly off. The ice shattared and Shinnok gasped for breath feeling his neck for pulse searching desperately for his treasure "The amulet!" he roared "No!"  
  
His body distorded "I'll kill you!" he boomed as his limbs changed flickering he grew to almost twice his height. His clothes ripped as Subzero clutched the amulet in his hand backing off slowly he watched terrified. A brown skinned monster rose with spiked head and sharp shinny teeth and huge arms up into the air. It snarled snapping teeth and flickering tongue it gazed down at Subzero with intent.  
  
"This way!" echoed a voice across the bridge. Turning in fear Subzero ran, a portal had opened in front of him at the end of the bridge. With great shaking steps the god was after him pounding the ground as he went "Come back!" roared the dark god in anger. The words of Noobsaibot came back into his mind "You don't want to see him when he's angry"  
  
"Die!" rasped the voice behind him and above and below the walls cracked, great crevices running down them. The blue gateway came closer, the swirling deapths turning round and round. With a flick of the hand Subzero threw the three green crystals aside. They fell flickering and flashing as they caught the last of the light into the darkness below.  
  
"No!"  
  
With a great roar of loss behind him Subzero leaped forward through the gateway and in a moment he was gone. The monster roared rearing its hands high up into the air yet it had no god to pray to. It was left alone in the darkness as the portal close to dwell eternally on its loss. It roared rearing its hands up into the air thrashing its arms arround and snapping its teeth. Shinnok's loss was imeasurable.  
  
Subzero landed with a wheeze at Raiden's feet. His costume ripped and frayed arround the edges was stained and crusted with blood. He reached his head up to meet the thunder god's eyes.  
  
"Here!," he whispered holding up the green gem encased in its golden shell, "The amulet"  
  
"Impressive Subzero," returned Raiden looking at the amulet up and down. His pointed hat shadowed his eyes and he smiled turning away "Perhaps you will reconcile your reckless path after all?"  
  
"That's it?," grunted Subzero, "Not even a thankyou?"  
  
"Thank yourself for undoing a problem you created" retorted Raiden with a warning finger. The words bit deep into Subzero, he looked at the floor guiltily, he stood to his feet. He was back in the temple of elements where he had defeated the fire god. Flames and lava licked below and the rocky walls glowed red as they reached high up into the stalacytes and stalagmites of the roof above.  
  
"One question," said Subzero at length, "Quan chi told me that you sent me because my soul was tainted with evil. Is that true?"  
  
Raiden sighed and looked a moment at the rocky floor, he turned to face Subzero and his eyes flickered with lightning "You are a superb warrior, Subzero. But only you are in control of your destiny. Not even the gods can alter your chosen path of life"  
  
"Was that a yes or a know?" spat Subzero stepping forward.  
  
"That was a yes," returned Raiden looking a moment on the amulet in his hand, "But... only you can change it"  
  
There was a long silence, and only the rushing of magma and burning fire could be heard far down below.  
  
"Will this room colapse?," whispered Subzero quietly.  
  
"Yes, the same as the others. My presence is keeping it at bay"  
  
"Will you leave me to die here thunder god?"  
  
"Subzero," returned Raiden with a knowing look, "I am no dark god"  
  
A white staff matirialised suddenly in his hand and turning with a spark of blue lightning he opened a shinning white portal "The himalayn mountains are beautiful at this time of day," smiled Raiden, "You may want to look on them ahwile before you journy back to your Grand master... although not all of the gods are still alive... they're work and creations never cease to amaze me. Do one more thing for me Subzero, and just look for a moment on those mountains. They have amazed me for countless milenias... pray let them amuse you for a moment"  
  
Subzero nodded gazing into the thunder god's eyes. He nodded slowly and with slow deliberate steps he exited through the portal. Subzero was gone. The fire below rushed up getting ready to consume the temple.  
  
"Looks like I won the game Shinnok," smiled Raiden gazing at the amulet, he fingered it slowly gazing at the gem, "Yet..."  
  
He gazed at the amulet slowly looking at it up and down "It cannot be..." he whispered. He again looked it up and down "We have lost it and only... he knows where it is. A clever image, perfect... I must consult the elders"  
  
With a whirl of the staff he dissaperered into a glow of white of lightning. In a moment he was gone. The roof above cracked and the walls creaked. With a great strain the cavern above tensed as rocks fell down into the fire below before with a great rocky crash the flames exploded upwards and the ceiling colapsed down.  
  
Subzero appeared back in the mountains. He was down below on a ledge, looking up he could see the gateway into the temple of elements. Everything looked the same as it had done the day he had entered. There was a rumble in the rock and he gripped hard onto the ground. The entrance exploded into flame and rocks fell above crumbling and blocking the entrance for ever. Black smoke and fire reared up into the air and a small stone fell smouldering it hit Subzero on the head and bounced away down the mountain. He clutched his head in pain and grunted.  
  
"Nice view, sure," grumbled Subzero, "Perhaps you could have at least dropped me outside of the mountains!"  
  
Feeling suddenly very hungry he realized that his thirst and need for food had returned. He felt tired and weary, yet still he had to get back home. He had to decend a mountain and he had to make his way back. His journying was almost over. 


	15. Epilogue

Chapter15: Epilogue  
  
Rice bags and wooden panneling. Sun shone in brightly through the windows as above the fans whirled round cooling down the hot air. Devious men with shady eyes sat at tables smoking and playing cards. A table in the corner of the room was clustered with four shaolin monks. Unlike the ones from the temples these had their chests covered also with the same orange. With shaved bald heads they conversed under the whirling shadow of the fan above like the breaking of a bunch of snooker balls.  
  
"Something big's happened" whispered one gazing at the fan now and again.  
  
"Are you thinking the same thing as I'm thinking?" replied the other leaning forward over a bowl of soup. At the counter a red headed man with a pigtale watched on with an apron across his chest he dried the dishes absently listening to every conversation in the room.  
  
"Someone invaded the Temple of Elements and took their Master's anchient scrolls before anyone could wake him!"  
  
"Who could have done this?" whispered another "But what was written on the scrolls?  
  
"Nobody knows, but there was a man who saw the assassin"  
  
"I heard that the surviving monk you mentioned said that there were two assassins from seperate sections, it seems impossible no?"  
  
"Certainly," whispered another "it would be a three man job at least and they would have to have been the most skilled fighters in the entire world to get in past all the traps like that and scale the mountain"  
  
"The monk was called Sang" said the starter of the conversation brooding over his bowl of water "Apparantly there were two and only two and never at any time did they work together. The first one a yellow ninja who they think was from the Shiri Ryu (although it could have been the one who got away)... he came in killing all of the guards arround and inside the building apart from one Sang who luckily was on patrol. Now this Sang finds out what happens, he sees the ninja, but then he finds yet another ninia in front of him who offers to help him track down the yellow one, together they found and killed the yellow one, but the blue one, you see they looked so he said: 'almost identicle'. Then he goes and betrays Sang and knocks him out while he bows"  
  
"One should never bow out of practice" said another monk shaking his head from side to side, he sipped his mug gently with a pained expression.  
  
"What's more Sang has vowed for revenge, he's sworn to track down the map, and find the person who tricked him so dishonerably"  
  
"Sounds like an old women's tale to me" laughed Wong looking down from the bar "What's the chance of two ninjas coming together eh? On the same mission in the same place at the same time?"  
  
"But how do you know they didn't eh? How do we know anything!" said the origional monk lifting his bowl into the air "I reckon something big's happened because the Shaolin temples have all sent out assassins as far as I can tell to track down the "blue ninja" who did it and bring him in for questioning dead or alive"  
  
"What ninja in their right mind would wear bright yellow or blue? Its a stupid idea, if I were you I'd forget the whole buisness"  
  
"Ah but we can't see!" replied another lifting his mug with a drop of the contents spilling out onto the table "We're a few of the people that's as been sent out to find him"  
  
"You've been sent out to find who?" called a shady man in black from the other side of the room. He looked gruff with an unshaven beard and beady eyes, arround him on his table were a bunch of other people younger than himself but all looked dangerous and deadly serious.  
  
"A blue ninja if its any concern of yours" sniffed the monk  
  
"You're looking for a blue ninja?" laughed the man darkly "Well as a matter of fact so are we, so you'd better get out of here or else"  
  
"I beg your pardon!" said the monk slamming his hands down on the table.  
  
A table at the other end of the room near the door got up suddenly standing to their feet they came over in tight black suits with well cleaned faces and dark over shampooed hair and sharps eyes "Both of you are looking for a blue ninja so it seems?" laughed the leader, tossing his hair back with his hand "Well I'm afraid none of you will be finding him since we're going to get him first"  
  
"You are damn well not!" roared the gruff bearded man standing to his feet. His asociates did as well and withdrew long sharp knives.  
  
"Hey!" shouted the red headed barman "Easy now! Take this outside alright!"  
  
The shaolin monks stood to their feet "Both of you get out, this is our ground!" they roared.  
  
"Piss off" said the clean shaven and well dressed men, gold and decorated seems and buttons went down their posh clothes and black jeans.  
  
"Who the hell are you people anyway?" spat the gruff leader his associates sniggered quietly behind him.  
  
"We're Shaolin monks" replied the bald table "And you?"  
  
"Black Dragon crime organisation" replied the gruff men  
  
"Black Dragon eh?" chuckled the well dressed leader "Well we're Red Dragon and you've just sealed your own graves, none of you will leave this place alive"  
  
The doors bursed open suddenly and a groop of black ninjas entered with weapons drawn, everyone else in the room imiediately drew theirs to a great *Kashing* of metal.  
  
"All of you get out!" said the leader in a Japanese accent "We need to speak to Wong about a certain Blue ninja... named Subzero, and his asociation with a coleague of ours"  
  
"Who the hell are you!" yelled the red dragon  
  
"We are the Ninja!"  
  
"Get out!" screamed the shaolin monks "This is our ground!"  
  
"Please I beg you take this outside!" pleaded Wong, he was ignored. Looking across the crowd of people he gulped backing off he hanged a closed sign on the till and ducked beneath the counter.  
  
"I've had enough of this Shaolin and ninja crap" breathed the gruff bearded man "The lot of you get out, this is between us and the Black Dragon now"  
  
"I'll have your tongue for that you pesky rats" hissed the Shiri Ryu pointing Kitana's forward, they edged their way in and the four groups approached each other weapons in hand. The stood still clutching weapons and breathing hard. A table and chair were knocked over as men circled round each other.  
  
Suddenly the light from the entrance way darkned a moment and a Black Dragon member paused just starting to lift up a chair to throw at an enemy. A man dressed in blue stood in the doorway with a cold ambiance about.  
  
"Is Wong home?" he asked peering through the crowd. They all stared at him with fixed eyes motionless "I guess not" he shrugged and walked away dissapearing behind the door frame. The mob stood still reluctant to move they weighed out the erge of continuing their fight against the erge of the blue man.  
  
"Lets get him!" shouted the red dragon member and with a slice of metal and drawn weapons they roared a battle charge all running out of the door in a huge armed mass. Chairs and tables lay overturned from the close confrontation. Silence consumed the restuarant as the distant calls of the assassins became quieter and quieter until it dissapered under the faint noise of the wind.  
  
Wong with his red pony tail gazed up slowly gripping the sides of the wooden counter, slowly he stood up to his full height wiping the sweat from his brow. Bending forward he turned the closed sign arround back to open and picking up the dishes continued where he left off.  
  
A moment later Subzero entered through the door glancing back once at the sunny horizon. Walking into the room he bent down slowly resting his hands on a fallen wooden chair he pulled it up righting it to stand, he pushed it under a table and came up to the counter. Sitting down opposite Wong he gazed forward slowly to find Wong's emotionless gaze at the dish not faltering once towards him.  
  
"Where's Mialta?" he asked offhand.  
  
"I gave her the day off, since I knew there'd be some big buisness today" replied Wong absently scratching the dish, finnaly he turned his eyes back to Subzero "I wasn't expecting them all to come at the same time though, shame about that"  
  
"I need a horse and supplies" said Subzero getting streight to the point.  
  
"Funny you should ask for that" chuckled Wong "Since they're waiting for you in the stables. A Lin kuei in yellow brought a horse down here only a few days ago saying you'd need it, some real casual gear he had on. The horse is the same one I leant you last time, although with the passage of time it might as well be yours now"  
  
"Thankyou very much" smiled Subzero. Wong gave him a strange look as if he'd just said something very out of character, Subzero coughed "I mean in a strictly formal buisness way of cource"  
  
Wong nodded and lead him through the double doors to the kitchens. Passing back into the lavish gardens he came to the horse stables. Oppening the upper door Subzero could see the deep Brown shape of Shivalry inside. He smiled bending forward he stroked the horse's main "He'll be perfect"  
  
"Oh... just one thing Subzero" smiled Wong looking round quickly behind him, he came close and Subzero nodded. He paused as if uncertain of how to go on "Do you know anyone by the name of Scorpion?"  
  
Subzero froze looking up at Wong slowly in disbelief "Yes" he replied "I do... well I suppose... I did "  
  
"Well a man called Scorpion was looking for you about two or three weeks back, just a couple of days after you'd finished that mission of yours. Some map I hear. He came here asking about you, said he was a freind of yours"  
  
"Heh, it must be coincidence" chuckled Subzero "I don't think I do know this person. Since the Scorpion I knew died in that very same mission"  
  
"That's strange" chuckled Wong absently "I thought you would know him. He was definitely Lin kuei you see, must be a knew recruit or something"  
  
"There isn't anybody in the Lin kuei called Scorpion, I can assure you of that. The very name is an insult right now to the Lin kuei, it will take them some time to finnaly get over his death"  
  
"He must have been Lin kuei" chuckled Wong shaking his head from side to side, "he was wearing the traditional clothing and all. His eyes looked a bit strange though, as if he was suffering from blindness or something"  
  
Subzero was again silent. He looked Wong over very slwoly before speaking with narrow tight eyes like a tiger "What did he say?" he said speaking at length.  
  
"He said that you had done him a favour and that he had to repay it... that was all, no big deal. I told him I didn't know where you were which was the truth honest I didn't. Why did I do something wrong?"  
  
"What couler were his clothes?" whispered Subzero slowly.  
  
"Yellow, same traditional costume as yourself. A bit like the messenger who came down with the horse, but he seemed a lot more relaxed than this Scorpion person. If you don't mind me saying I didn't feel at all easy round him... he was all cold like. A very disagreable person if you don't mind me saying... you do keep strange company sometimes... and there was something very strange about his eyes"  
  
"Wong" shouted Subzero suddenly bending forward over the man "Is this some kind of fucking joke?"  
  
Wong widened his eyes in terror he stepped back "I don't know what you're talking about!" he gasped. Subzero lifted him up by the neck and gazed into his eyes "You'd better tell me now if you're playing games with me Wong because otherwise I sware you're going to experiance a whole new world of pain!"  
  
"It's the truth!" he gasped choking he gripped Subzero's hands trying to wrench the hands apart "I promise!"  
  
"You're telling me that a yellow clothed man came here today ... called Scorpion and asked about my name?" he roared "Did it not occur to you that Scorpion is dead?"  
  
"I'm only telling the truth master!" he gasped "Please have mercy!"  
  
Subzero froze at the words, his hands loostened. Normally he would have killed Wong for knowing too much. But something from his ordeal had changed him. He dropped the man to the ground where he clenched his neck in pain gasping for breath. Subzero turned away to the horse with a white face.  
  
It snorted as if unaware as to what was happening. He turned slowly to Wong who was sprawled on the ground his pig tail wiggling back and forth across his head.  
  
"Thankyou Wong" he said after a long moment "I'm sorry... I'm sorry for every trouble I ever caused you and your servant..." he sighed rubbing his forehead he turned again to the horse, he undid the catch and opened both doors to the smell of hay inside "I need to go now"  
  
The horse rode across the desert the hoof prints being blown away as he passed across the dunes. Again as always he was returning to the shadows, yet now that things had gone the way they had, there were so few shadows left in the world. He couldn't keep running forever. Shivalry galloped on the sand rising from each beat of the hooves. Like the sands that lifted and fell back down to the ground, his time was running out. Whenever he moved over a dune it was as if the whole world saw him before he merged again into the safety below.  
  
The night came across the Gobi desert and in the dark Subzero looked up at the moon, as he gazed at the mint leaf. It shone white under the glow of the moon, he stared at the veins, and the broken stalk. It seemed as fresh as the day he had taken it in his hands.  
  
Passing through Dragon's gate at night he came quietly back to his home with not a passer by to seem him darting in and out of the shadows as he always did. Subzero, a cold assassin returning home. Under the moonlight he stood on the porch gazing up at the house above. He didn't knock, he just stood silent and again withdrew the mint leaf to look at it. The symbol of his hope, his struggle and his ordeal. In a way the leaf represented everything that had changed in him.  
  
Turning away he walked round the back of the house. He climbed over a large wall with ease and dropped silently into his own beutiful gardens. The Lilly pools looked quite exquisite under that bright moonlight. At the edge of the garden he bent down where there was pleanty of space and raked the fresh soil aside with his hands.  
  
He closed his eyes gripping the soil in his hands he closed it round the mint leaf and began to bury it under the earth "Is redemption really possible?" he whispered "If you show me the way Raiden... maybe I can try to follow as best as I can. It may not mean anything..." he whispered after ahwile padding down the earth with his hands, the grains caught the white light above and glittered like gems or glass with the soft moonlight upon them "but when I have seen hell..." he mumbled yet in this night the precision was in his own mind "I know for sure that there is a point in good even if at the end of all things it doesn't add up to anything at all"  
  
Under the moonlight he strolled silently away to his house where with a quiet sound of hollow wood he closed the door. The sky was calm, and although there was a gentle pitter patter of rain on the roof that night, there was no storm, the weather was at peace. 


End file.
